Living in England’s most deprived postcodes costs people a decade of healthy living compared with those in the richest parts of the country, a new report has revealed.
Those in worst-off areas can expect to develop multiple serious health conditions a full 10 years before their richer peers, an analysis by the Health Foundation charity found.
Residing in the most deprived areas came with other health consequences, the research said. Some 28% of people 65–74 years of age in the poorest areas had four or more conditions, compared with just 16% of the same age group in the least deprived.
The charity found that a growing number of people have multiple health conditions, presenting an increased strain on the health service.
Approximately 14.2 million people have two or more conditions, the foundation said, a figure representing close to a quarter (24%) of all adults living in England.
More than half (55%) of hospital admissions and outpatient visits and three quarters (75%) of primary care prescriptions are for people living with two or more conditions.
The charity assessed data from 2014 to 2016 for 300,000 people in England and considered 36 ailments, including common physical and mental health conditions.
It is calling on the government to do more “to tackle the underlying causes of ill health”.
The Health Foundation’s Sarah Deeny said: “Daily life for people with multiple conditions can mean an overwhelming focus on managing their symptoms and other tasks like engaging with the health care system.
“People’s health is a result of a wide range of social determinants including their quality of housing and education, where they live, access to good quality work and affordable food.
“To address the fact that people living in deprived areas are more likely to have multiple conditions and ensure everyone has the best opportunity to live a healthy life, cross-government action is needed to tackle the underlying causes of ill health.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “People are living longer across England, but we aim to ensure everyone can enjoy an additional five extra years of life by 2035 and narrow the gap between the experience of the richest and poorest.
“Preventing ill health is a challenging and complex area, but progress is being made. Rates for alcohol abuse, smoking and diagnoses of STIs in England are all falling, and our recent prevention vision builds on this success.”