Regional health inequalities and deprivation are taking years off people's lives - Tina Woods

While these inequalities are preventative and avoidable, they continue to exist between different groups of people in different areas in the UK.

In Yorkshire, a report has been published by the South Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Board, highlighting the gap as a key issue driving its strategy over the next five years.

A summary of the report states, “People of South Yorkshire are living shorter lives than they should. People living in our most deprived areas have both shorter lives and are living those years in poorer health.”

When we look at the contrast in life expectancy in the region, NHS research shows that male life expectancy is 77.3 years, lower than 78.7 years across England as a whole.

Female life expectancy is 80.9 years, compared with 82.7 years for England and the gap in life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas in South Yorkshire is 8.7 years for males and 7.6 years for females.

The contrast in the results is concerning. We aren’t talking about a difference of a couple of months here – there are years being shaved off people’s lives and it’s down to regional health inequalities, income deprivation and other risk factors.

The report, published by the South Yorkshire NHS Integrated Care Board, states that the biggest underlying causes of deaths in South Yorkshire are heart disease, Covid-19, dementia, lung cancer, stroke and lower respiratory disease.

Of particular concern is the increase in the prevalence of multi-morbidity, e.g. having more than one long term condition, and an earlier onset, especially in the most deprived parts of South Yorkshire where this could be as much as 15 years earlier.

Given the cost-of-living crisis and the rising prices of necessities including food and shelter, those living in more income-deprived areas are likely to suffer and, in turn, both their healthy life expectancy and life expectancy will suffer.

If people cannot afford healthy food and rely on cheaper ultra-high processed food, they are more susceptible to malnutrition, as well as diabetes and obesity with malnutrition already costing the NHS £23.5bn a year.

As well as this, heightened financial pressures can cause an increase in stress, depression and anxiety which all impact overall health.

Without preventative measures in place such as a robust approach to tackling regional health inequalities, education around nutrition and discounted health schemes from employers, for example, we face a continued downward spiral for the healthy life expectancy of those living in the North of the UK.

Given the NHS is under immense pressure, the solution needs to involve a collaboration between the government, businesses, local authorities and communities, with priorities including addressing workforce health, taking steps to improve access to healthier food and mobilising community resources.

Tina Woods is CEO of Business for Health.