Life expectancy in one UK town can differ by up to eight years depending on where you live, health bosses have confirmed.
As a woman living in Winstanley, Wigan, Greater Manchester, your life expectancy would be the best in the borough at 84.5 years – almost eight years better than woman in Ince who have a life expectancy of 77.1 years.
Meanwhile, as a man living in Shevington with Lower Ground Ward you are expected to live almost eight years longer than men in Leigh Central and Higher Folds – 81.7 years compared to 73.8 years.
Data from Public Health England also suggests that Wiganers are expected to live for two years less than the national average, reports MEN.
Rachael Musgrave, director of public health for Wigan, said: “The things that make the big difference are the building blocks of good health, so good housing, employment, friends and family, access to transport and education.
“Essentially having the Health and Wellbeing Board focussing on those building blocks is the shift, so to do that we have to have the right people around the table. We know that health is poorer in some regions of the borough.
“We need to focus on those places and get those building blocks strong.
“Rather than have conversations about health services, which is important, it is about how we design a place that enables people to stay well.”
Office for National Statistics data shows 53.4 percent of households in Wigan were deprived in at least one category when the most recent census was carried out.
Now Wigan has adopted an approach of incorporating health into every decision they make – from planning to transport, to policy across the board.
It’s a big task with a long-term focus. The borough’s Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB), which has been revitalised in recent months, will play an integral role in this change.
HWBBs were brought into all councils back in 2013 with the task of promoting greater integration and partnership between bodies from the NHS, public health and local government. Now that Greater Manchester has seen Clinical Commission Groups (CCGs) abolished and replaced with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) – the role of the board needs to change in the eyes of the council.
This is because there is now a separate committee, which Coun Keith Cunliffe, deputy leader and portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health also sits on, which effectively does the jobs of the HWBB in terms of services such as hospitals and clinics. This has spurred on the change of role for the HWBB in Wigan so that it does not become a copycat committee.
