23% of deaths in England and Wales ‘avoidable’

23 percent of deaths in England and Wales in 2014 were ‘avoidable’, says The Office of National Statistics (ONS). Timely and effective healthcare or public health interventions could have prevented nearly a quarter of the year’s fatalities.

Cancers and non-cancerous abnormal tissue growths accounted for 35 percent of all avoidable deaths in England and Wales in 2014.

32 percent of deaths among children and young people aged 0-19 were also thought to have been the result of avoidable causes. Injuries made up 14 percent of this category.

The ONS’ Dr Anne Campbell said: “People who die prematurely from avoidable causes lose an average of 23 potential years of life. For children and young people, this figure rises to 72 years.

“The biggest contributors to avoidable early deaths are chronic illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. In contrast, accidental injuries and complications surrounding childbirth are the biggest killers of children and young people.”