Avoidable & Preventable Deaths

Avoidable mortality is defined as deaths that are either preventable or treatable in accordance with the following definitions:

A (cause of) death is classified as preventable when it can be mainly avoided through effective public health and primary prevention interventions.

A (cause of) death is classified as treatable when it can be mainly avoided through timely and effective healthcare interventions.

Figure x below shows that Grampian has one of the lowest avoidable mortality rates in Scotland, with Borders the only mainland board to have a lower rate over the 2020-23 period.

Avoidable mortality rates by Health Board, all persons: 2020 to 2023 average

However, avoidable mortality remains a concern in the more deprived areas of Grampian. Figure x below shows that the avoidable mortality rate is around 2.5 times higher in the most deprived quintile compared to the least deprived quintile.

Figure x shows that the preventable mortality rate is 2.7 times higher in the most deprived quintile compared to the least deprived quintile.

Figure x – Preventable Deaths per 100,000 population by SIMD Quintile