Questions have been raised over whether the official coronavirus toll accurately reflects the number of deaths seen in hospitals.
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries said on Sunday that there is a “time lag” in the number of deaths tallied up as officials firm up the numbers and speak to families.
A tally of the NHS data updated on Sunday says 11 people have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in hospitals run by King’s College Hospital trust.
But the trust’s own website, which was updated on Friday, says that 33 patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus have died.
Asked about disparities in figures at a Downing Street press conference, Dr Harries said: “We have to make sure that when we’re reporting the family is content and knows and all our data is absolutely accurate.”
She added: “There is always a time lag for us to check and evaluate that the data across the system is linked.
“We do not want to be misreporting data and then having to correct it.
“The public would not have confidence if we were doing that.
“As we have sadly had to register more deaths, that time period takes longer.”
