More than 100 more people died in Derbyshire than expected in the last month

Health think tank, the King's Fund, said the latest data, which shows a sharp fall in the number of excess deaths across England and Wales, is welcome after a winter hit by high flu numbers, still some Covid-19 deaths and an NHS under intense pressure following the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities figures show 209 deaths were registered in Derbyshire in the week to January 27, the most recent week for which data is available.

Some 214 people were expected to die in that week, five fewer deaths were recorded than expected, though this remains well below the two-year peak of 96 excess deaths in the week to February 5, 2021. Since the turn of the year, 116 excess deaths have been logged.

Across England, there were 548 excess deaths in the week to January 27 – a significant fall on the weekly average of 2,543 in the three weeks before since the turn of the year.The 3,746 excess deaths recorded in the week to January 13 was the highest on record in almost two years, dating back to the 5,120 logged in the week to February 5, 2021.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on excess deaths is much reduced than during the previous peaks in 2020 and 2021, but is still present.

In the week to January 27, 545 (4%) of the 13,296 registered deaths across the country had Covid-19 listed on the death certificate – during previous surges of excess deaths, the proportion of Covid-19-caused deaths rose above 33%. Of them, three were in Derbyshire.

The Department for Health and Social Care said the recent peak in excess deaths was caused by several factors, including high flu prevalence, cold weather, the ongoing challenges of Covid-19 and health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

A spokesperson said: "Our urgent and emergency care recovery plan will further reduce pressure on hospitals by scaling up community teams, expanding virtual wards, and get 800 new ambulances onto the roads."