Lifestyle is key to halting death rates

OLDHAM is the seventh worst area in the country for increasing life expectancy.

A new report said the Primary Care Trust (PCT) in Oldham had only reduced its mortality rate by 15 per cent between 1995-97 to 2006-08.

Blackpool PCT fared worst with the smallest reduction in the country of only 12 per cent.

Leafy Hammersmith and Fulham PCT saw the biggest reduction in mortality rates, by 34 per cent.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report, which focused on 70 of the most deprived PCT areas in England, found life expectancy had gone up as a whole.

But it showed that although people were living longer, the gap between deprived areas and other areas had continued to grow. In 1995–97, men in poorer areas were expected to live 72.7 years, compared with 74.6 years in the rest of England.

By 2006–08 the life expectancy of men in these areas had risen to 75.8, but the average for men in the rest of the country had gone up to 77.9 years.

Women in poorer areas could expect to live to 78.3 in 1995-97, compared with 79.7 in the rest of the country.

By 2006–08, poorer women would live to 80.4 while their more affluent counterparts would, on average, live to 82.

According to Oldham’s latest Public Health Report published in January, life expectancy for Oldham men was 75.2 years with women expected to live to 79.

The NAO recommended prescribing more drugs to control blood pressure and cholesterol, and helping people quit smoking to reduce the gap, which would cost around £24million a year.

NAO head Amyas Morse said: “The Department of Health has made a concerted effort to tackle a very difficult and long–standing problem. However, it was slow to take action and health inequalities were not a top priority for the NHS until 2006.”

Alan Higgins, Oldham’s director of public health, said: “Life expectancy is improving in Oldham, which is good news. However, people in some of the more affluent parts of the borough still live much longer than people in the more deprived areas, which, in some cases, are among the most deprived in the country.

“Some 18 months ago NHS Oldham launched a five-year plan which identified the main areas to tackle in order to really improve health.

“We also made a commitment to do all we can to reduce smoking as this a key contributing factor in three of the biggest killer diseases here: heart disease, cancer and lung disease.”