PEOPLE living just three miles away from Grimsby's East Marsh could live for up to nine years longer than those living in the ward.
That's the finding of this year's Annual Public Health Report, which revealed that at birth the average life expectancy for someone in the East Marsh is 74.
However, those living just over three miles away in Cleethorpes' Haverstoe ward or just over four miles away in Humberston and New Waltham, could expect to live to an average of 83.
According to the latest figures published by Public Health England – which were released this month – life expectancy is 12.9 years lower for men and 7.9 years lower for women in the most deprived areas than in the least deprived.
PHE has also revealed the average life expectancy for a woman in North East Lincolnshire is 81.9, compared to a national average of 83. For men, the local average is 77.9, compared to the national average of 79.2.
This year's Annual Public Health Report is the first to be produced since North East Lincolnshire Council took over responsibility for public health from the NHS in April last year.
In it, acting director of public health Geoffrey Barnes, said the "extremely wide variation" in life expectancy in the borough was one of the biggest challenges his team faced.
He added "stark geographic and socioeconomic health inequalities" remained an issue in North East Lincolnshire and it was this – and the associated differences in lifestyle this brings – that was the root cause.
According to a Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) produced to look at how to tackle the issues highlighted, the East Marsh, West Marsh, South, Sidney Sussex and Heneage wards "repeatedly have the worst health outcomes".
It states: "These are the most deprived wards in North East Lincolnshire, which confirms that deprivation is a determinant of health and these populations are experiencing higher levels of ill-health and premature mortality."
Mr Barnes added he believed the issues could only be tackled by joining forces with agencies such as the North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group and PHE.
He added unemployment – and its knock-on effects on mental health and lifestyle – was a key factor in overall health levels.
And the data used to compile the report showed that in February 2012, 39.4 per cent of working age residents in East Marsh were claiming benefits, compared to the North East Lincolnshire average of around 11 per cent.
In Haverstoe, the level of those claiming was just 5.8 per cent.
Mr Barnes said: "Public health is concerned with the health of the population and the wider detriments of health, such as employment, housing, education, transport and deprivation.
"These determinants can have a major influence on health and health inequalities, and to build healthy communities by tackling these factors requires a strategic partnership approach if long-term change is to be realised.
"It is also important to tackle the often mistaken belief that health and ill-health is the sole responsibility of the health care sector, because it is often other sectors that are better positioned and able to influence the wider determinants."
See Friday's health pages in your Grimsby Telegraph for an in-depth look at the report and how the issues are being tackled.
What is the life expectancy in your area? The average life expectancy for people being born in North East Lincolnshire today, varies from ward to ward – in some cases by up to nine years. Here are the figures for each ward. East Marsh – 74 West Marsh – 77 Sidney Sussex – 78 South – 78 Croft Baker – 79 Park – 79 Yarborough – 79 Immingham – 80 Freshney – 80 Heneage – 80 Scartho – 81 Wolds – 82 Waltham – 82 Humberston and New Waltham – 83 Haverstoe – 83Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
What is the life expectancy in your area? The average life expectancy for people being born in North East Lincolnshire today, varies from ward to ward – in some cases by up to nine years. Here are the figures for each ward. East Marsh – 74 West Marsh – 77 Sidney Sussex – 78 South – 78 Croft Baker – 79 Park – 79 Yarborough – 79 Immingham – 80 Freshney – 80 Heneage – 80 Scartho – 81 Wolds – 82 Waltham – 82 Humberston and New Waltham – 83 Haverstoe – 83Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
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