Scotland records more than 250 coronavirus deaths in a week

More than 250 coronavirus deaths have been recorded in a week, according to the latest figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

Statistics published on Wednesday show there were 252 fatalities registered when Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate between November 23 and November 29, an increase of six from the previous week.

As of Sunday, a total of 5634 such deaths have been registered in Scotland.

The NRS figures differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government using Health Protection Scotland data because the former includes suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.

Almost two-thirds (165) of these deaths occurred in hospitals, with 75 in care homes and 12 at home or in non-institutional settings.

The data showed 70% (177) of the deaths were of people aged 75 and over.

At council level, the highest number of deaths occurred in Glasgow City (51), followed by South Lanarkshire (30) and North Lanarkshire (24).

There were 82 deaths in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, 54 in Lanarkshire and 31 in Ayrshire and Arran.

Meanwhile, Macmillan Cancer Support analysis of NRS data has found the number of people dying at home from cancer has increased 47% since the first lockdown.

The charity said this has placed unprecedented demands on “stretched” end of life care services.

It found 1643 more people died from cancer at home than the five-year average of 3468 between March 16 and November 29.

Macmillan Cancer Support strategic partnership manager Trisha Hatt said: “We know most people with cancer would prefer to die at home if they have the right support in place.

“This is why access to high quality end of life care is crucial.

“Unfortunately, we’re seeing unprecedented demand for end of life care in homes at a time when the teams providing this care are already stretched.”

She added: “We’re very concerned about the pressure this is putting on families who may be struggling to give the kind of care to a loved one at the end of their life that would normally be provided by a health or care professional.

“It’s vital that the right level of support is available to everyone in Scotland who is dying at home, and their families.”