Life expectancy among Nottinghamshire's poorest men nearly eight years lower than well-off peers

Office for Health Improvement and Disparities data shows, across 2020 and 2021, the average life expectancy for men in Nottinghamshire stood at 78.8 years.

However, men from the wealthiest fifth of the area’s population can expect to live to 82.2, 7.9 years more than the least well-off males.

Deaths due to circulatory issues were the main reason behind lower life expectancy for the area’s poorer men, reducing their expected life span by 1.4 years.

Meanwhile, average life expectancy for Nottinghamshire women was 82.3 in 2020 and 2021, with the least deprived women expected to live 6.2 years longer than those from poorer communities.

David Finch, of The Health Foundation, a charity working to tackle health inequalities, said: “There are staggering differences in life chances in the UK depending on where people live.

“Prior to the pandemic, improvements in health had stalled, while inequalities had widened.

“This includes major variation in healthy life expectancy between different areas of the country, but also within local areas – sometimes between places just a few miles from one another.”

“We also see significant variation in how many people have long-term conditions, such as cancer and heart disease, between different areas.

“Such marked differences in health are partly related to the varying conditions in which people are born, live and work.”

He said an absence of economic and educational opportunities in poorer areas will likely impact the health and wellbeing of the most deprived.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said tackling health disparities is a ‘priority’ for the Government.

He said: “Later this year, we will set out bold action to reduce the gap in health outcomes between different places, so people’s backgrounds do not dictate their prospects for a healthy life.

“We are also helping local authorities improve public health by increasing their grant to just more than £3.4 billion this year, and are investing a further £39bn in overall health and care over the next three years.

“This will put in place reforms to ensure we have a health and care system sustainable and fit for the future.”