A tragic tally

The figures, which covered each year from 2005 to 2009, showed that in Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, sores and ulcers were detailed 151 times as a contributory factor or underlying cause of death over the five years, increasing from 28 in 2005 to 42 last year.

The conditions were mentioned on 81 death certificates over five years in Lothian, 48 certificates in Grampian and 78 certificates in Lanarkshire.

Broken down further, the conditions were blamed as the underlying cause between two and three times each year in Greater Glasgow and Clyde - a total of 12 over the five years.

The conditions were the underlying cause on eight certificates in Lothian, seven in Grampian and 17 in Lanarkshire.

The lowest numbers were in the Borders and Forth Valley, where the conditions were considered the underlying cause in only one case in each area since 2005.

Meanwhile, recent statistics show that nearly 1,000 people a year in England die from bedsores.