Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons there was a high level of excess winter deaths in 2017-18; and what plans he (a) put in place to reduce those deaths in 2018-19 and (b) is putting in place to reduce those deaths in 2019-20.

Additional deaths in winter months cannot with certainty be attributed to specific causes but the strains of flu circulating, in particular A/H3, together with very cold weather, as seen in some areas last winter, are likely to be important contributing factors as both affect the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.

The seasonal flu vaccination programme aims to provide protection to those who are at higher risk of flu associated morbidity and mortality. Under this programme the vaccine is available to everyone over the age of 65 years, those who are at particular risk from flu, carers, and pregnant women. In addition, in 2018/19 we extended the children’s programme by an extra school year, so all children between 2 - 9 years, were offered the nasal spray vaccine to help protect them and their families against flu. In 2019/20 this programme will be extended to include all primary school children. The vaccine is also available to all frontline healthcare and social care workers to protect them from flu, and this was extended to hospice workers for the first time this winter. This season we offered those over 65 a newly available adjuvanted flu vaccine.

We are also providing the National Health Service with an extra £420 million this year to re-develop accident and emergency departments, improve emergency care and help get patients home quicker. In addition, NHS England and Public Health England (PHE) launched a series of winter campaigns, under the brand ‘Help Us Help You’ to advise people how to stay well this winter.

PHE is conducting a detailed analysis of the excess winter deaths over the 2017-18 winter period. These findings will be used to target public health messages as part of our plans for winter 2018/19 and 2019/20. PHE is also supporting local authorities, the NHS and other frontline staff through the Cold Weather Plan, and is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel bills for the most vulnerable groups.