Life expectancy ‘unacceptable’ in town says top health chief

Barnsley’s director of public health, Elizabeth Shassere, has made the appeal to local health services as part of her latest annual report.

The report includes, for the first time, a range of recommendations based upon the town’s three biggest killers – cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory disease – which together accounted for more than three-quarters of premature deaths in Barnsley recorded between 2007 and 2009. Ms Shassere said: “While local life expectancy is improving, it remains at a slower rate than the rest of the country and this is unacceptable.

“Without our concerted and collective attention inequalities will continue to grow.

“The economic recession and subsequent funding cuts are impacting on organisations as well as local communities.”

Ms Shassere added: “The recommendations we have made for services could not only help save lives, but also reduce years spent living in poor health or with disability.”

Life expectancy at birth in Barnsley has increased from 73.2 years for men and 78.0 years for women in 1995 to 1997, to 76.4 years for men and 80.1 years for women in 2007 to 2009.

However, the gap in life expectancy between Barnsley and the rest of England has widened.

Latest figures show that men in Barnsley can expect to live for 1.85 years less than the national average, while women will die 2.21 years earlier than the average for the whole of England.

Ms Shassere’s report states that more than 200 deaths in Barnsley could be avoided in just one year, by taking action to improve the care and treatment for people with cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as looking at preventative measures.

For cancer, the interventions suggested are believed to have the potential to save up to ten deaths a year in the short term.

Other actions suggested by the report include providing “targeted stop smoking support” to all patients with cardiovascular disease who continue to smoke; reducing “harmful” alcohol consumption and improving the uptake of the seasonal flu vaccination.

Ms Shassere added: “These actions alone will not reduce health inequalities, which is why we will follow this up by continuing to improve the ways we address unhealthy lifestyles and tackle the more persistent ‘causes of the causes of ill health’.

“We cannot continue to let the people of Barnsley experience years of life lost.”

Within Barnsley itself there are also “clear inequalities” in life expectancy.

Men die younger than women, with a huge difference of 6.9 years in Penistone West ward.

In Barnsley north east ward, meanwhile, the gender gap is just over a year.

Compared to the rest of Yorkshire and the Humber, Barnsley is third from bottom in terms of life expectancy for men, above just Hull and North East Lincolnshire.

For women, Barnsley is second from bottom, again above Hull.

Both men and women who live in the area covered by North Yorkshire and York primary care trust, meanwhile, can expect to live the longest, with men having a life expectancy of 79 and most women living to the age of 83.

An event will also be taking place next week to offer information on diabetes to people in Barnsley.

The free talk at the Metrodome in Queens Road begins at 7pm on Tuesday, October 11 and will be followed by a question and answer session.

Dr Keith Sands, who will be giving the talk, said, “With diabetes being such a common health problem in the UK it is vital people understand the signs and how best to manage it.

“Anyone is welcome to come along to find out a little more.”

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