Department of Health and Social Care
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A profile of the nation's health
Wake-up call on health inequalities
Health Profiles for every local authority and region across England were published today by the Department of Health and the Association of Public Health Observatories.
The Profiles use key health indicators to capture a picture of the nation's health down to local level, providing areas across England with valuable information to improve their population's health. This year's data also includes new information on child health inequalities.
People in England can expect to live longer and healthier lives, but the health gap between the most affluent and most deprived wards within each local authority remains unacceptable.
The Government recently announced its renewed commitment to tackling the stark inequalities in England with the launch of its Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps report. The document sets out clear and achievable measures for the NHS and Local Authorities to implement.
Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo said:
"Inequalities around the country are stark, but the NHS and Local Authorities can use these profiles to target local health hotspots with effective measures to make a real difference. We recently renewed our commitment to tackling these issues with the Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps report. I am confident that we can confront the issues facing communities head on and make health inequalities everyone's business."
Key national findings show that:
Deaths from smoking-related diseases continue to fall across England, to 225 per 100,000 (aged 35+) in 2004-06 from 234 in 2003-05.
* The death rate from smoking in the local authority with the lowest rate (139 per 100,000 in East Dorset) is less than half that in the local authority with the highest death rate from smoking (355 per 100,000 in Knowsley)
* In general, smoking is still causing a higher rate of death in the north of England compared to the south.
Life expectancy from birth continues to improve across England for both men and women, but there is still a wide variation across the country.
* Men in the local authority with the highest life expectancy (Kensington and Chelsea, 83.1 years) can expect to live 10 years longer than those in the local authority with the lowest life expectancy (Manchester, 73 years).
* Women in the local authority with the highest life expectancy (Kensington and Chelsea, 87.2 years) can expect to live 9 years longer than those in the local authority with the lowest life expectancy (Liverpool, 78.3 years).
Several indicators of children's health presented in this year's data for the first time show that:
Breastfeeding rates are at a national average of 69%:
* Lambeth knows that 'breast is best', with a rate of 91% of mothers who initiate breastfeeding. Knowsley come bottom with a rate of 33%.
High quality PE and school sport amongst 5-16 year olds for at least two hours per week reached 86%:
* Many more children in Malvern Hills get at least two hours of high quality PE per week than those in Newcastle-under-Lyme (99% compared to 63% respectively).
Obesity amongst reception year children averaged just under 10%:
* Teesdale had the lowest rate (5%) and Hackney had the highest (16%).
These profiles are intended to give the NHS, local authorities and other partners an insight into the health of their residents, to enable resources and initiatives to be better targeted
The Association of Public Health Observatories, with the DH, have also published a companion "Health inequalities Intervention tool", that enables every English local authority to model the effect of four high impact interventions on their life expectancy gap. The four interventions are: smoking cessation, treating undiagnosed high blood pressure, statin prescribing to reduce blood cholesterol and reducing infant mortality.
Notes to Editors
1. The Health Profiles are presented in a easy-to-read format, comparing an area's health against the national average for each indicator. They are all available online at http://www.healthprofiles.info
2. The Health Inequalities Intervention tool:
* was originally designed for Spearhead Areas and was first launched in August 2007. Feedback was very positive with requests for a similar tool for all areas. In response the Department of Health commissioned the Association of Public Health Observatories to develop this new national web-based modelling tool.
* is designed to help Primary Care Trusts, Practice-Based Commissioners and local authorities to implement simple, effective, evidence-based measures to affect the life expectancy gap of their local populations. It can be used as part of a comprehensive local strategy to reduce health inequalities.
* went live with the launch of the Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps document and is available on the London Health Observatory website: http://www.lho.org.uk/HEALTH_INEQUALITIES/Health_Inequalities_Tool.aspx
