A report discussed by Cwm Taf Morgannwg Health Board’s Quality & Safety Committee (pdf) has revealed that there was little change in the proportion of avoidable deaths in the health board area in the five years immediately before the pandemic (2015-2019).
“Avoidable mortality” includes deaths where a person may have otherwise survived if they had received treatment earlier (“treatable mortality”), or where earlier public health intervention – such as changes to a person’s lifestyle (i.e. diet, obesity, smoking, drinking) may have prolonged a person’s life (“preventable mortality”).
Men are far more likely than women to be victims of “avoidable” deaths.
In medical terms, some of the conditions that are considered to be either preventable or treatable include many forms of cancer, diabetes, some heart conditions, flu, pneumonia and alcohol-related disorders. “Preventable or treatable” also includes transport accidents, other accidents and self-harm.
The good news is that across the board the proportion of avoidable, treatable and preventable deaths declined in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board area (and across Wales more generally) since 2001.
However, amongst all three categories – avoidable, treatable and preventable – Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board was top amongst all Welsh health boards. The decline has also stalled and across the five-year period there’s been little change.
