Denis Campbell’s article rightly highlights the UK’s worsening health outcomes (UK ‘the sick person of the wealthy world’ amid increase in deaths from drugs and violence, 20 May), but it overlooks a key driver: the sharp rise in preventable accidents.
Research by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) shows that the rate of accidental deaths has surged by 42% in the past decade and has risen fastest in the middle-aged. Accidents are now the second leading cause of death for under‑40s. These are not random tragedies; they are systemic failures.
Currently there is no government plan to address this issue and responsibility is fragmented across many departments. RoSPA is calling for a national accident prevention strategy to get the UK back on track. Accidents cost the NHS £6bn annually and result in 29 million lost working days – 10 times more than strikes. A coordinated, cross-government approach would save lives, ease pressure on the NHS and support economic growth. We cannot continue to ignore a crisis that is both avoidable and escalating.
Other nations have shown that strategic, data-led prevention policies can dramatically reduce accidental harm. The UK must follow suit by appointing a dedicated minister to lead a cross-departmental response. Without leadership and investment, we risk allowing this silent epidemic to grow – at immense human and economic cost.
Steve Cole Director of policy and impact, RoSPA, Dr James Broun Research manager, RoSPA
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
