Early deaths twice as common in most deprived parts of England, study shows

People in the most deprived parts of England are twice as likely to die prematurely as those in the wealthiest areas, according to “alarming” research on UK inequality.

Life expectancy in Blackpool is markedly lower than leafy Surrey or West Berkshire because of much higher rates of obesity and smoking rates linked to poverty and education, the University of East Anglia researchers said.

Despite these “stark” inequalities, England had better average life expectancy than the rest of the UK, while Scottish citizens die youngest.

Addressing these drivers of disease, which also include diet, drug use, and environmental factors like air pollution, requires interventions at local and national government level, not just by the NHS, the authors say.

“This comprehensive assessment of health across the country highlights the stark division between rich and poor areas, which sees poorer people dying earlier and getting sicker quicker,” said Professor John Newton, one of the authors and a director of health improvement at Public Health England.

“It also shows the improvements to health that could be achieved by addressing underlying causes, such as poverty, education and other resources needed for good health.”

These preventable factors accounted for half of all premature deaths the UK in 2016 by contributing to conditions like heart disease and cancer, the research adds.

Measuring from 1990 to 2016, the study in The Lancet notes that life expectancy has improved in the last decade and a half.

However, improvements have slowed significantly since 2010, largely because reductions in major killers like heart disease, strokes, and cancers have slowed.

The study looked at death and disability rates, and compared them to life expectancy data to establish how many years were lost to people dying young or living with life-limiting physical and mental health conditions.

In Blackpool there were 14,274 “life years lost” for every 100,000 people, this amounts to 14,274 people dying one year earlier than the average life expectancy – 86.6 years in 2016 – and compares to the most affluent area Wokingham where only 6,888 life years were lost.

Early deaths were only one element though, and in every UK country except Scotland, years lived with disability – such as chronic back pain or migraine – outnumber the years lost by dying early.

“Our findings show a significant shift from mortality to morbidity, yet our health services are still designed to deal with the big killers,” said Professor Nicholas Steel, the study’s lead author.

“Today, conditions such as back and neck pain and anxiety and depression are huge causes of disability in the UK.”

It comes after a series of damning reports on how poverty is driving rises in infant mortality and obesity among children, with the UK lagging behind European nations.

On Wednesday a report by health economists said that austerity-driven cuts to funding for ill-health prevention budgets under the Conservative and coalition governments would cost £3.2bn to repair.

“This devastatingly stark analysis must act as an urgent wake up call for ministers ahead of the Budget next week,” Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said.

“The report identifies that over half of premature deaths are linked to behavioural risk factors including tobacco use, obesity, alcohol and drug use. This highlights just how misguided, savage and shameful the ongoing cuts to public health services really are.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have a strong track record on public health – robust Government action has led to a fall in rates of smoking, and our world leading childhood obesity plan promotes ways to keep children healthy from an early age.

“Prevention will be a priority in the NHS Long Term Plan and we are giving £16bn to local councils to fund public health services over the current spending period.”