Health experts are calling for immediate government action after new figures revealed that avoidable deaths in England and Wales remained elevated in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on June 18 that, in the most recent year for which complete data is available, over 20% of all deaths in England and Wales were considered preventable.1

In response to these findings, the Royal Society for Public Health expressed concern over the growing disparities in avoidable deaths across different regions, the distressing increase in deaths among children and young adults, and the alarming rise in fatalities linked to alcohol and drug use. William Roberts, the society’s chief executive, expressed …