Health inequality in Notts

A significant gap is opening up in terms of health improvement across Nottinghamshire -according to figures for the county which show a definite link between life expectancy and deprivation.

Director of Public Health for the County, Chris Kenny, made a presentation to members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC), to reveal the differences in public health between and within each district, and to highlight areas of most concern.

This was in response to a Mansfield Members’ Forum request to consider health concerns – such as high levels of infant mortality and deaths from heart disease – for scrutiny.

Although there are significant improvements in terms of health for the county as a whole, Mansfield, Ashfield, Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood are all falling behind the average for the rest of England in terms of life expectancy. Significant differences also emerge between individual district wards with implications for resources and service provision.

A scope for a possible review into health issues is expected to go to the OSC in March.

Health inequalities

• The population of Nottinghamshire is set to rise by 8% to 800,000 in the next twenty years
• Mansfield has the highest numbers with permanent illness and disability in the region
• Fewer people in Mansfield consider themselves to be in ‘good health’
• Ashfield, Mansfield, Bassetlaw and Newark and Sherwood are above average for smoking related deaths, and have a far greater prevalence of smokers. Most start smoking regularly at around the age of 16.
• Ashfield and Mansfield are above average for deaths from circulatory disease and cancer
• Bassetlaw comes out on top in terms of prevalence of obesity
• Although falling elsewhere, the rate of teenage pregnancies in Mansfield is rising