Political Opinion: Labour councillor calls for action over health inequalities in West Northants

Cllr Fartun Ismail says lessons need to be learned to close the gap in life expectancy after a new report revealed men in Brackley West, the healthiest part of West Northamptonshire, live 14.4 years longer than men in the Castle ward of Northampton – 87 years compared to 72.6 years.

Women in the Castle ward – one of the most economically deprived parts of West Northamptonshire, and one of the most ethnically diverse – also die six years earlier than women in Brackley West.

The report by West Northants Director of Public Health quotes Professor Sir Chris Whitty, former Chief Medical Officer, who said: “We all age identically chronologically and eventually die, but biologically some people age substantially faster than others. This inequality in the rate of biological ageing is largely preventable and is affected by the social and economic environments that people live and work in.

“This can be seen by the significant gap in effective biological age experienced by those living in poverty and deprivation who experience multiple risk factors across the life course such as exposure to smoking, air pollution and access to green space, compared to those living in the least deprived areas.”

Cllr Fartun Ismail (Labour, Castle Ward), who is a member of the Adult Social Care, Health and Communities Scrutiny Committee, will calling at the committee’s next meeting for an investigation that will:

• Establish why some people in West Northants die so much earlier than others

• Learn from local authorities that have reduced health inequalities

• Put in place measures to address the differences and close the gap in West Northamptonshire

Cllr Ismail said: “This is shocking evidence of the health inequalities that persist in our council area despite the best efforts of health partners: almost 15 years difference in life expectancy for men, and six years for women in my ward and those in the most affluent areas.

“These are people who live just a few miles apart, yet have big differences in their life chances. We must act now to change these statistics and help everyone lead longer, healthier lives.”