Stark difference in life expectancy across West Northants
It's according to a new report
Last updated 17th Apr 2024
Men living in certain parts of West Northamptonshire could live almost 15 years longer than others just 20 miles away, according to “shocking” figures in a council report.
The local authority’s ‘Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023′, which addresses the current well-being needs of the public and health inequities, has revealed that, on average, people living in the most affluent areas of the county can expect to live eight or nine years longer than those in the most deprived areas.
In the most extreme case, the life expectancy of men in Brackley was 87, but the predicted expectancy dropped to just 72 years old in Castle ward, Northampton town centre. The disparity of life expectancy is also evident in women, with an upper age of 87 and a lower life expectancy age of 80 across the same areas.
Despite being only a 22-mile drive from one town to the other the differences are stark, largely lining up with West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) data on the most deprived areas. According to the report, 14 per cent of the population live in the 20 per cent most deprived areas.
The average life expectancy across the whole county is 79 for men and 83 for women, on par with the national average according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Sally Burns, West Northants Director of Public Health, said at a cabinet meeting setting out the report: “The difference we see in life expectancy I agree is shocking and when you dig beneath the detail it’s down to a number of things- housing, employment, opportunities, environment- so the trick is understanding that.
“Everything that we all do can affect these health inequalities. Dealing with that is a long game so in a lot of these areas, we’re not going to get quick fixes.
“Yes, some of those figures are quite stark but this is the reason for the report- it’s to put that out there and really call the health system to account on it.”