Nottingham University Hospitals NHS
Freedom of Information Request
Reference Number: NUH 60515
Information requested:
| Q1
|
Please provide the recorded figures per month since January 2020, per hospital, for deaths caused by (as opposed to died WITH) COVID-19. |
| A1
|
I can confirm that the department holds information that you have asked for. The information is exempt under section 21 of the FOI Act because it is reasonably accessible to you, and I am pleased to inform you that you can access it via the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/covid-19-daily-deaths/
Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act exempts disclosure of information that is reasonably accessible by other means, and the terms of the exemption mean that we do not have to consider whether or not it would be in the public interest for you to have the information. |
| Q2
|
Please provide the recorded figures per month since January 2020, per hospital, for deaths caused by influenza. |
| A2
|
123 Deaths |
| Q3
|
Please provide the criteria by which death by COVID-19 is distinguished from death by influenza, pneumonia, asthma and other respiratory illnesses. |
| A3
|
All deaths where a patient has been compromised by the effects of Covid 19 are required to have Covid 19 somewhere on the death certificate.
This includes all deaths where patients have suffered the effects of Covid 19, where a positive swab has been returned and their Covid symptoms have directly contributed to the death. Covid 19 should then be written in Part 1 of the Medical Death Certificate. If a patient has had a positive swab in the recent past but has died of other causes then it is appropriate for Covid 19 to be placed in part 2 of the certificate, as a contributory factor. However, some patients are never tested for Covid 19 due to emergency situations etc or they have had a negative swab. These patients are then diagnosed with Covid 19 on a differential diagnosis. They are, diagnosed by particular changes in the lung tissue, appearances of which are specifically characteristic of Covid 19. The diagnosis of Covid 19 is given when these changes are seen alongside changes in blood results, known as Lymphocytopenia. Other characteristics include, Type 1 respiratory failure. The whole picture leads to the differential diagnosis. Therefore these collective characteristics are specific to Covid 19 and should be written on the Medical Death Certificate in these cases. |
| Q4
|
Please provide a list of any differences between death by COVID-19 vs death by any other respiratory illness in terms of post death process, paperwork, accountability and cost. |
| A4
|
Post death process – in this and others Trusts patients who are diagnosed with Covid 19 are placed in a body bag
Paperwork – Covid 19 is placed on the Medical Death Certificate, all other paperwork remains the same. Accountability – All Covid 19 deaths are reported to the CPNS (Covid 19 Patient Notification System) which is the National system for recording Covid 19 deaths. There is no requirement for these deaths to be reported to the Coroner unless other clinical or environmental issues dictate. Cost – Provision of body bags and PPE. |