27 June 2008
Health inequalities remain 'unacceptably' wide in England, according to ministers, who have urged primary care trusts and local authorities to close the gap.
The Department of Health published health profiles for every council area on June 24, covering indicators such as life expectancy, obesity rates and smoking-related deaths.
While these reveal that, overall, people in England are living longer and enjoying better health, the gap between the most affluent and deprived areas remains wide.
A North-South divide is evident in smoking-related deaths. Knowsley council on Merseyside has the highest rate in England, with 355 deaths per 100,000, more than double the rate of the lowest, in East Dorset, where it is 139 in 100,000.
Kensington and Chelsea has the longest life expectancy for men and women, at 83.1 years and 87.2 years respectively. This is in stark contrast to the lowest rates – men in Manchester live on average to 73, and women in Liverpool die at an average age of 78.3 years.
Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said the government would continue to push for progress under its Health Inequalities strategy, published earlier this month.
But she called on councils and local health providers to take the lead, saying: 'Inequalities around the country are stark, but the NHS and local authorities can use these profiles to target local health hotspots with effective measures to make a real difference.'
But Tim Crayford, president of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said the health inequalities were part of a broader problem. 'We need to be looking at tax regimes and particularly children born into poverty,' he said.
PFjun2008
