A GIRL born over the three years to 2023 in Barnsley will live a ‘healthy’ life for the shortest amount of time in the whole country, new figures have revealed.
Across England and Wales, healthy life expectancy has fallen while overall life expectancy has remained static, which the King’s Find think-tank called ‘an urgent problem’.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show a girl born between 2021 and 2023 in Barnsley is expected to enjoy 52.6 healthy years.
This is down slightly from 53.1 years for girls born between 2020 and 2022, and below 55.9 years for those born between 2011 and 2013.
It was also the area with the lowest healthy life expectancy for girls in England.
Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokepserson for public health and communities, told the Chronicle: “There is clear evidence that where we are born, grow, work and age shape our health.
“These inequalities are not inevitable, and we can work together to change them. Some of the levers lie at the national government level, but we also have local strategies and programmes to address the wider determinants of health and tackle the economic decline in places like Barnsley.
“This includes the Barnsley Place Partnership which aims to bring health and wellbeing services across the borough closer together so we can provide the best possible care for our residents.
“We’re working together as partners to produce a new Health and Wellbeing Strategy which will take a cradle to the grave approach, prioritising the things that make the most difference.
“For example, the Pathways to Work commission which supports people back into good jobs and the More Money in Your Pocket campaign which maximises income for Barnsley residents.
“Alongside this, we continue to work to deliver our healthcare services in new ways, including our town centre Community Diagnostic Centre and our Health on the High Street ambition which will bring a range of health and wellbeing activities into the heart of Barnsley town centre.”
Across England, healthy life expectancy for newborn girls has fallen by two years in a decade, from 63.9 to 61.9 years.
Further ONS figures show life expectancy nationally has remained relatively stable, meaning the proportion of a person’s life expected to be spent in poor health has likely grown.
Dr Veenu Raleigh, senior fellow at the King’s Fund, said the Covid-19 pandemic means the UK’s life expectancy is ‘pretty much bottom of the pack’ when compared to the rest of Europe, particularly for female life expectancy.
“That is because our health has not improved as much as in other countries,” she added.
Dr Raleigh said the national north-south divide was clear in the figures, and tackling the issue was important for public health, but also for the government’s economic growth plans.
She warned ‘deprivation, employment, environment and air pollution’ are all challenges to be tackled.
“I think it’s both a human imperative to reduce these inequalities, but also an economic imperative,” she said.
“We have increasing numbers of people of all ages not working due to ill health.
“To tackle it does need a significant increase in government strategy and investment, investing in public health, and also addressing the economic decline of some of these places.”
The data also shows healthy life expectancy for boys born in Barnsley has fallen by three years over the last decade - to 52.9 years in 2021 to 2023.
