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‘Health
in County Durham and Darlington is poor compared with England, with extreme
poor health
in some areas’ (Annual Report of the Directors of Public Health, County
Durham and Darlington
PCTs, 2005/06). There are substantial inter-regional differences, and also
large differences within
regions, sub-regions and localities.
Life expectancy is a key indicator, related to socio-economic deprivation,
inequality of opportunity,
access to services, and lifestyles. Across the UK, life expectancy for males
ranges from 80.1 years
(Kensington and Chelsea) to 69.3 years (Glasgow City). Every District in County
Durham and
Darlington, except Teesdale, has life expectancy below the average for England
(Table 8). People die
younger here. Easington is particularly bad, with respect both to male life
expectancy (only 73.7
years) and female life expectancy (78.3 years). Standardised Mortality Rates
give much the same
picture, but this age standardised measure gives Chester-le-Street a much
worse score and Wear
Valley drops below Easington. County Durhamand Darlington record high death
rates fromCoronary
Heart Disease, respiratory diseases and cancers. Life expectancy is increasing,
both nationally and
locally – but so, too, are the differences between affluent and deprived
places and individuals.
Table 8: Life expectancy at birth for Local Authority Areas 2005,
Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMRs) 2004
Life Expectancy: ranked out of 432 Local Authorities; based on three year
rolling average, 2002-04. Source: NHS, 2006
SMRs: take account of age structure and data based on occurrences. Source:
Regional Trends, 2006
The local Directors of Public Health identify issues that are of particular
concern here, including:
These problems are closely connected to local cultural norms, preferences
and attitudes. Social
life has traditionally centred on pubs; smoking has only recently started
to become much less
acceptable in the North East; and there is generally much less access to opportunities
for healthy
eating and less participation in physical exercise and activity. There are
very strong connections
between deprivation and poor health. The County Durham Local Area Agreement
talks of ‘a
mutually reinforcing link between higher rates of poor health, mental illness
and premature death,
and low income, economic inactivity, and low levels of education and skills’
(LAA, 2006, 66). The
Darlington Community Strategy and LAA has, as a major theme, health improvement
and social
inclusion, centred on reducing health inequalities and tackling the issues
which the local PCTs
have raised in their joint Annual Report.
The local Directors of Public Health also highlight other problems which deserve
high priority, including:
County Durham and Darlington have high levels of physical disability,
incapacity and illness and
also an ageing population. There are considerable challenges in promoting
the health and
independence of disabled and older people in the community. Demand is bound
to increase on
both the health and social care services in the future, not least because
of enhanced survival rates
of both disabled and older people. Provision of long-term care for increasing
numbers of older
people and people with disabilities will need substantial expansion of health
and social care
services. Moreover, both demographic and social trends suggest an increasing
pressure on carers
in families and in local communities. It should also be noted that there are
social trends that are
likely to make the challenges even greater – for example, the increasing
numbers of older people
living alone and, consequently, isolated and socially excluded.
There are considerable challenges in promoting the health and independence
of disabled and
older people in the community.
