City's health chief paints grim picture of poverty and ill-health

The gap in life expectancy between the poorest and most affluent is continuing to widen and the life expectancy of deprived women in Wakefield has dropped by a year since 2003-05, from 77 to 76.

Overall, 20 per cent of the most affluent people in Wakefield are now expected to live eight-and-a-half years longer than the 20 per cent living in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

The figures are contained in a report by Dr Andrew Furber, the director of public health for the Wakefield district. He said that residents in the district are living longer and the gap with the England average has narrowed.

But he added: "However health inequalities within the district remain a challenge – shockingly the 20 per cent of our population living in our most affluent areas have a life expectancy nearly eight-and-a-half years longer than the 20 per cent living in our most deprived neighbourhoods.

"Much of this can be accounted for by difference in lifestyle factors."

The good news, he added, is that on the whole Wakefield residents are living longer.

Residents can now expect to live to nearly 79 years old, as opposed to 78 in 2003-05. And although overall life expectancy is still below the England average of about 80, the gap has narrowed.

Dr Furber remains concerned about the gap between rich and poor and the "big killers" such as coronary heart disease, which is the leading cause of deaths in the Wakefield district.

Work to improve health is focusing on reducing people's weight, boosting their activity levels and reducing smoking and drinking.

Analysis of GP records in Wakefield shows that 22 per cent of people aged 20 to 24 are either obese of morbidly obese.

In the 55 to 59 age group the figure is double that, at 48 per cent.

Overall, less than one third of adults aged over 20 in Wakefield have a "normal" weight as defined by health experts.

Another priority for the NHS in Wakefield is the incidence of smoking, particularly during pregnancy.

Wakefield district is in the worst 10 per cent nationally of performance for smoking during pregnancy at 23 per cent of mothers.

Research has suggested that some of the most deprived areas, such as South Kirkby, Knottingley and Castleford, have the highest incidence of smoking in pregnancy.

However there are some more affluent areas, parts of Stanley and Hollingthorpe, where rates of smoking during pregnancy are high.

Experts are trying to discourage this, as women who smoke during pregnancy are three times more likely to have a low birth weight baby.

Smokers also significantly increase the risk of their baby dying during the first four weeks of life.

Heavy drinking is also being tackled, with the emphasis on educating young people.

The report concludes that a new way of looking at communities – focusing on their assets and skills, rather than their deficiencies – will have more chance of improving lives.

The emphasis on "co-production" – health professionals and residents working together – is now focused on 12 priority neighbourhoods where chronic ill health in later years is a reality for many.

The report concludes that this new method of working could offer a long-term improvements to people's life chances.

"There is a real commitment in Wakefield District to tackling the root causes of health inequalities," said Dr Furber.

"Co-production offers and effective and sustainable way of achieving this and is already featuring in some of our work."

He said it was not a "cure-all" but an alternative to traditional methods.