Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:05 pm on 20 May 2020.
I thank Russell George for that. I think he gave a very good explanation himself of why there is a difference between the Public Health Wales figures and the ONS figures. I do understand, if you're not close to these things, it is difficult for people to understand the differences.
He will remember that, early in the coronavirus crisis, there was a considerable call from Members of the Senedd and beyond—and understandably too—for the most up-to-date information to be published as quickly as possible, and that's why Public Health Wales publishes the daily figures that they publish, and they are, as Russell George has said, deaths of people in hospital, and that's capable of being brought together on a daily basis. But, it doesn't represent the totality of the picture because it doesn't include people who have died outside hospital and in the community. That is more difficult to collect together quickly because it relies on death certification. There is a lag in that. The ONS figures, which are more comprehensive but a couple of weeks out of date, reflect the totality of the picture.
So, I suppose the only advice I can give to people who want to make sure they have the most comprehensive understanding of this is that they've got to look at both sets of data. They cover slightly different things. I think the comfort that people might be able to draw is that, while the specifics in terms of numbers differ, the trends are broadly the same. So, you're not looking at a completely different understanding of the picture; you're seeing the picture at a different point in time and on a different basis, but what they're telling us about the trends of coronavirus are broadly consistent.
I'll make an enquiry on his second point because I don't have that information directly with me and I'll make sure that we write to him and let him know the answer.