The line graphs above show the weekly excess deaths (deviation in mortality from the expected level).
In a report focusing mainly on comparison of the English data with that of other European countries, Sky News mentions, in passing that the rate of excess deaths is much higher in England than on Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland:
Sky News analysis has found that England is among the European countries with the highest number of “excess deaths” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Excess deaths are calculated by subtracting the expected number of deaths in a given period (based on past mortality rates) from the total number actually recorded. The figure helps give a truer picture of the impact of the virus than government death tolls.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-englands-excess-deaths-among-the-highest-in-europe-11977394
The Scottish media have shown little interest in this though the FM was able to refer to the Scottish figure falling and being lower than in England & Wales in her briefing today.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
England being the outlier. Wonder who runs that country…
LikeLike
Today’s NRS data release provides a graph of ‘excess deaths’ by week and by underlying cause of death. (see Figure 6 in the data sheets linked from https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/covid19stats )
In summary, on total number of ALL ‘excess deaths’ i.e. numbers this year compared to the 5 year average over the same period, the NRS reports this:
Week 13: -39 deaths (i.e. this year is lower than the 5 year average)
Week 14: + 646
Week 15: + 878
Week 16: + 849
Week 17: + 743
So, from Week 15, the total number of ‘excess deaths’ due to all causes has been on a downward trend.
On another, but linked matter. I’ve just caught bits of the UK government’s daily briefing. Can anyone clarify this: did the number of Covid-19 deaths in England’s care homes given today refer only to those with a positive test or to ALL Covid-19 related deaths in care homes including those where there is a diagnosis that has NOT been confirmed with a test? Could make a big difference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I may have an answer to my own question! I’ve just found copies of the slides used to communicate key statistics in the UK government’s briefing today :
Click to access 2020-04-29_COVID-19_Press_Conference_Slides.pdf
‘Interesting’ choices of data presentations:
Slide title: ‘Daily COVID-19 Deaths in UK (excludes deaths outside hospitals in England) – There were an additional 578 deaths of people who had tested positive for coronavirus.’
In small type in a footnote, it has this: ‘Figures from the devolved administrations include deaths outside hospital for both series.’
Slide title: ‘Daily COVID-19 Deaths in All Settings (UK)
There were an additional 765 deaths of people who had tested positive for coronavirus.’
So ‘all settings’ but just those ‘tested’?
And finally:
Slide title: ‘Global Death Comparison – Different countries have different methods of counting Covid-19 deaths which means it is difficult to compare statistics across countries.’
And in explanatory notes: ‘UK: deaths with COVID-19, includes care home deaths’ but in a separate footnote there is this ‘UK figures on deaths relate to those who have tests positive for COVID-19, whichever setting they died in.’
So it seems that when HMG gave data on deaths in ‘all settings’ these are, at least for England, only those in ‘all settings’ that have had a positive test for Covid-19.
LikeLiked by 1 person