Life expectancy in Plymouth is 2.5 years shorter than other parts of Devon
The city council is calling for changes to the way Devon's NHS funding is spent
There's calls for a major review of Devon's NHS funding, after figures showed the average life expectancy in Plymouth is two years shorter than the rest of Devon.
City council leader Tudor Evans says: "Men in Plymouth live 2.3 years less than in Devon and woman live 2.5 years less. Locally, levels of under 75 mortality, due to causes that are considered entirely preventable, are 16 per cent higher than the rest of England, and 52 per cent higher than Devon."
NHS Devon says it's working to achieve fair shares of funding over the next four years, and it's committed to reducing inequalities.
Councillor Evans, said: “We know that finances are tight. But, the priority has to be making sure that the money available is distributed to the right places, where there is the most need.
"We know of areas in Devon where the need is less, yet funding is available to them – is the ICB favouring those who know how to use the system and leaving behind those who don’t or won’t?
“There are people of Plymouth who cannot get a GP appointment, who cannot get an NHS dentist, who are missing out on treatment and are being put at unnecessary risk due to the lack of patient care and prevention services.
"We know there are demands across the region – but we are Devon’s biggest city and our services are stretched beyond belief with no relief in sight."
The Devon Intergrated Care Board use a model called ‘Fair Shares Funding’ which the Leader of Plymouth City Council says 'does not take enough account of deprivation and inequality in health outcomes in Plymouth when compared to other parts of Devon'.
Councillor Evans added: "Intergrated Care Boards have the autonomy to determine their own spending based on local need and the power to ‘over allocate’ funding to address poor health outcomes.
"Outcomes that in Plymouth are driven by deprivation and deep-seated health inequality which will have been worsened by more than a decade of underfunding. So far, the ICB have not been able to suggest any way forward that would result in a change in Plymouth. It is morally right that this review takes place and is given the serious consideration that it needs.”
A spokesperson for NHS Devon, said: “We share Councillor Evans’ passion for allocating resources across the system equitably to address health inequalities across Plymouth and the rest of Devon.
“To ensure a fair allocation of funding across the county, we have established a planned trajectory for achieving what the NHS refers to as ‘fair shares’ over the next four years.
“Using the national NHS England formula, which takes into account deprivation and inequality in health outcomes, we allocate the ‘fair share’ of funding for each area of Devon, including Plymouth.
“Using this formula, Devon is shown to be receiving £109.5 million more than its weighted capitation allocation of NHS resources in 2024/25. For Plymouth, this equates to £23.1 million over allocation, or 4.1%.
“We remain committed to working with Plymouth City Council and our other partners to improve services and reduce inequalities for our local population.”