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    Technical Notes 2024, Issue 187 - Premature deaths in East Dunbartonshire 2023

    • Report by:

      Ann Davie, Chief Executive

    • TN Number:

      187-24

    • Subject:

      Premature deaths in East Dunbartonshire 2023

    • Responsible Officer:

      Derrick Pearce, Interim Chief Officer – HSCP

    • Publication:

      This Technical Note will be published on the Council’s website following circulation to Members. Its contents may be disclosed or shared out with the Council.

    • This Technical Note is to provide an update on alcohol-specific deaths, drug related deaths and probably suicide figures at a national, NHS GGC board wide and local East Dunbartonshire level recorded for 2023.

    • National Records Scotland (NRS) publishes annual reports and associated data for all deaths in Scotland.

    • The publication dates of the reports mentioned above were as follows:

    - Probable Suicides report was published on the 13th of August 2024.

    - Drug-related deaths report was published on the 20th of August 2024.

    - Alcohol-specific deaths report was published on the 10th of September 2024.

    • Probable deaths by suicide - In 2023, probable suicides in East Dunbartonshire decreased by 20% from 15 in 2022 to 12 in 2023. Across Greater Glasgow and Clyde probable suicides decreased by nearly 10% from 156 to 141. Nationally across Scotland figures increased by 4% from 762 probable suicides in 2022 to 792 in 2023. This was the second year in a row there was a national increase.

    • Drug-related deaths - In 2023, East Dunbartonshire drug-related deaths decreased by 33% from 9 in 2022 to 6 in 2023. Toxicology results showed that over 80% of the 6 drug-related deaths had more than one substance involved. Across Greater Glasgow and Clyde drug deaths increased by over 18% rising from 300 to 355. Nationally across Scotland there were 1,172 drug-related deaths in Scotland in 2023 which represented an increase of 12% from 2022.

    • Alcohol specific deaths – In East Dunbartonshire in 2023, alcohol-specific deaths decreased by 37.5% from 24 in 2022 to 15 in 2023. Alcohol-specific deaths are more challenging to analyse in terms of more complex and longer-term health issues, however alcohol liver disease was the most prevalent cause. Across Greater Glasgow and Clyde alcohol-specific deaths decreased by just under 10% from 323 to 326. Nationally there were 1,277 alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland, which was an increase of 1 from 2022 figures. The report highlighted that male alcohol-specific deaths increased by 25 and female deaths reduced by 24, and individuals in the most deprived areas are over four times more likely to die from an alcohol-specific death.
       
    • Work is ongoing to provide more detailed analysis of local data to enhance locality planning and intervention measures. This analysis will also further strengthen approaches to prevention and ensure appropriate support provision to continue to reduce premature deaths across East Dunbartonshire.