Northern people 20pc more likely to die early

Experts say the divide is at its widest for 40 years, warning: “The North is being decimated at the rate of a major city every decade.”

A study published in the British Medical Journal said between 1965 and 2008 people living in the North were a fifth more likely to die prematurely under the age of 75 despite Government efforts to bridge the gap with the South.

The number of excess deaths among all age groups was 14 per cent higher in the North than in the South over the four decades the research showed, an early death toll of more than 1.5 million.

Researchers compared the North and the Midlands with the rest of England, discovering the wide gap between North and South had remained despite a dramatic fall in the overall death rate since 1965 by about 50 per cent for men and about 40 per cent for women, regardless of where they lived.

They found the divide decreased significantly from the early 1980s to the late 1990s around periods of recession, followed by a steep rise during boom years from 2000-8, despite government initiatives to reduce health inequalities.

The authors, Professor Ian Buchan, of Manchester University, and John Hacking, from Manchester City Council’s joint health unit, concluded: “These findings point towards a severe, long-term and recently worsening structural health problem in the geography of England, which may not have received the attention it requires from government policy and which has been resistant to specific policies to reduce inequalities in health or regenerate local communities.

“It might imply that such policies have not been concentrated enough in the northern half of England or that, for example, a more directed regional economic policy as in France or Germany is required.”

They said action to reduce the gap needed to focus social and economic recovery efforts on the North amid evidence public spending on research and transport was significantly lower, while the South enjoyed a quarter more disposable income, up from a fifth 15 years ago.

It was also important to ensure the NHS had sufficient resources to treat excess ill health in the North.

It made sense for the whole country to prioritise northern recovery because plans to increase the pension age will see the South paying to compensate for the lack of a healthy workforce in the North.

In an accompanying editorial, Margaret Whitehead, professor of public health at Liverpool University, and Tim Doran, from Manchester University, described the excess deaths as a “northern catastrophe”.

They said deprived northern communities had “borne the brunt” of the current recession and that government spending cuts “will also hit hardest in the North”.

They call for “a national overview” of access to NHS services for different communities.

“Otherwise, the result could be chaos and an even wider health divide,” they added.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said: “Everyone should have the same opportunity to lead a healthy life, no matter where they live or who they are.

“The Government has made it clear that reducing health inequalities is a priority as part of its commitment to fairness and social justice.

“This means tackling the wider, social causes of ill-health and early death as well as addressing individual healthy lifestyles.”

A programme to focus on improving access and outcomes for vulnerable groups had been set up and spending on public health was being directed towards the most deprived parts “to improve the health of the poorest, the fastest”.