(Discontinued) COVID-19 Deaths
This section contains information on deaths of patients who have died in hospitals in England and had either tested positive for COVID-19 or where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. All deaths are recorded against the date of death rather than the date the deaths were announced.
At the end of March 2023, publication of COVID-19 deaths information on the NHS England website ceased. Similar information on COVID-19 deaths will continue to be published and made available on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard.
As from 1st July 2022, reporting moved to publication once per week on a Thursday, rather than every weekday. The daily announced files containing reported deaths in the 24-hour time period to 4pm the day before the daily publication date ceased. The total announced file containing all reported deaths continues and will be published once per week on a Thursday. This will be published alongside the previously named ‘weekly’ file, containing supplementary information such as breakdowns by pre-existing condition.
From Tuesday 28 April 2020, NHS England started to report the number of patient deaths where there has been no COVID-19 positive test result, but where COVID-19 is documented as a direct or underlying cause of death on part 1 or part 2 of the death certification process. This change has been introduced for deaths that occurred on 24th April 2020 and subsequently and is shown separately in the region data table only. When making comparisons over time these figures should not be included.
Interpretation of the figures should take into account the fact that totals by date of death are likely to be updated in future releases for more recent dates. For example, a positive result for COVID-19 may occur days after confirmation of death. Cases are only included in the data when the positive COVID-19 test result is received, or death certificate confirmed with COVID-19 mentioned. This results in a lag between a given date of death and exhaustive daily death figures for that day.
These figures do not include deaths outside hospital, such as those in care homes. This approach makes it possible to compile deaths data on a daily basis using up to date figures.
These statistics have been produced quickly in response to developing world events. The Office for Statistics Regulation, on behalf of the UK Statistics Authority, has reviewed them against several key aspects of the Code of Practice for Statistics and regards them as consistent with the Code’s pillars of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value
NOTE: As part of a continual process to improve the quality and accuracy of the dataset recording COVID-19 -related deaths in English hospitals, revisions may be made to historic data included in each day’s publication. As a result, the data available is improved. An example of a revision may be where a death is reported to NHS England where no positive COVID-19 test result is recorded by the hospital trust, but where COVID-19 is later recorded on the death certificate. In this type of circumstance, a positive COVID-19 test result may be received subsequently, and the record would therefore be revised.
Data Notes
Data-notes-for-COVID-19-daily-deaths-publication
Frequently Asked Questions
COVID 19 Daily Deaths – Frequently Asked Questions
CPNS user guide
A guide for providers on how to submit data to the COVID-19 Patient Notification System (CPNS) can be found here:
Other sources of data
Some information on the different methodologies used to report on COVID-19 deaths by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been made available by the the ONS and can be accessed via the link below:
Data
COVID-19 all announced deaths
The total announced file is updated weekly on a Thursday and contains information on the deaths of patients who have died in hospitals in England and either tested positive for COVID-19 or where no positive test result was received for COVID-19, but COVID-19 was mentioned on their death certificate. All deaths are recorded against the date of death rather than the day the deaths were announced. This file contains breakdowns by region, age group and NHS trust for those who tested positive for COVID-19. This file also contains a breakdown by region for those where no positive result was received, but COVID-19 was mentioned on their death certificate.
COVID 19 total announced deaths 30 March 2023
The supplementary file is also updated on a weekly basis and contains information on the deaths of patients who have died in hospitals in England and tested positive for COVID-19. This file contains breakdowns by ethnicity, gender and age group, presence of a pre-existing condition and age group, and certain pre-existing conditions.
COVID 19 total announced deaths 30 March 2023 – supplementary file
COVID-19 total announced deaths – supplementary file archive
At the end of March 2023, publication of COVID-19 deaths information on the NHS England website ceased. Similar information on COVID-19 deaths will continue to be published and made available on the GOV.UK Coronavirus Dashboard.
As from 1st July 2022, reporting moved to publication once per week on a Thursday, rather than every weekday. The daily announced files containing reported deaths in the 24-hour time period to 4pm the day before the daily publication date ceased.
COVID-19 daily announced deaths – daily file archive: 2nd April 2020 – 1st July 2022
Pre-release Access
Pre release access list COVID deaths final
Contact Us
For further information about the published statistics, please contact us at:
NHS England
Room 5E15
Quarry House
Leeds LS2 7UE
Email: england.covid19dailydeaths@nhs.net