'It's frightening to think what this might mean for Leeds': Covid-19 deaths show 'clear disparity' within the city

Analysis by Leeds City Council of local data has found a stark increase in death rates in the more deprived communities in Leeds - a finding branded "frightening" by one Leeds charity.

For those living in the poorest areas of Leeds, the Covid-19 mortality rate was 37 deaths per 100,000 - 60 per cent higher than that of least deprived areas, which had a rate of 23 per 100,000.

The data, published in a report to next week's council health scrutiny board, covers Covid-19 deaths in Leeds from the beginning of March to early May and provides an early indication of trends emerging across the city - which are similar to the national picture.

In Leeds, there have also been over three times more deaths in the 20 per cent most deprived areas of the city than there have in the least deprived areas, from 32 per cent to seven per cent.

The most deprived areas also contain a higher proportion of people shielding - those who are clinically vulnerable and at high-risk from coronavirus.

Dom Charkin, operations manager at social inequality charity Zest, in Gipton said he is sadly "not surprised" by the figures and fears the pandemic has come at "exactly the wrong time" for these communities in Leeds.

He said: "It's really upsetting to see that there is inequality but it's not surprising. It's frightening to think what this might mean for inequality in Leeds and nationally going forward."

He said these communities are less able to work from home and are also more likely to be living with long-term health conditions which make them more susceptible to the virus.

"Therefore it's not surprising that the death rate is higher and we can assume that the number of people contacting coronavirus as a result has been higher also.

"Inequality in Leeds has been increasing over the last 10 years and I think that the pandemic has come at exactly the wrong time for these communities [who are] less able to cope with it."

He said deprived communities will be "less prepared and equipped" to deal with any future lockdowns or spikes or the resulting economic effect.

"That should be the big concern. Certainly getting through Covid is the short term goal but long term, thinking about community resilience and how communities less equipped to deal with whatever shock this provides should be what we are really starting to focus on and how we empower and strengthen those communities going forward," he added.

The impact of deprivation on Covid-19 death rates in the city is also due to be discussed at Friday's board meeting of the Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust in a report on 'Health Inequalities and Covid Impact' which noted the "clear disparity" in the impact of the virus on different community groups.

It stated: "Whereas Covid-19 seemingly does not discriminate and is an illness which can affect anyone, the impact can be significantly greater within communities at highest risk of health inequalities."

It also warned that disruption to health services caused by the pandemic is likely to "create or exacerbate" inequalities and said a project had been launched by the trust to ensure its "ambition of improving the health of the poorest the fastest was not lost as a result of refocusing attentions on managing the pandemic".

The report says data will be reviewed regularly and added: "To be clear, however, where the data starts to show issues, we have moved rapidly from research and analysis in to action to do all we can to mitigate against problems that are within our power to solve."

**Other findings from the council's data analysis showed the majority of deaths in Leeds so far for the virus have been among the over 65s, with 65 per cent occurring in those aged 75-89 years - also in line with national findings.

Geographically, five wards in Leeds show "significantly" high death rates than others - Hunslet and Riverside, Temple Newsam, Beeston and Holbeck, Gipton and Harehills and Roundhay.

But the council report notes that some of the data - particularly for the five wards - is based on such small numbers any small increase or decrease could alter the picture.

Most of the city's Covid-19 deaths so far have occurred in hospitals, which account for 62 per cent. This was followed by care homes, with 31 per cent, private homes with four per cent and almost two per cent in hospices.

Last month, the Yorkshire Evening Post ran a special series looking at some of the deepest inequalities in the city and how, almost overnight, the task of addressing them became "significantly" worse with the coronavirus pandemic.

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