People in our area are generally living for longer on average than they did in previous years, but unfortunately an increasing number of those years of life are affected by ill health.
The health of our people and communities varies considerably and is linked to poverty and deprivation. This means that our most disadvantaged residents spend more years living with an illness or disability. Obesity, smoking, high blood pressure and physical inactivity are all contributing to worsening health, particularly in our more deprived areas, increasing the pressure on health and care services.
Health headlines
- 3.53 million people are registered with a GP across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Milton Keynes and Peterborough.
- About 16 in every 100 people are aged 65 or over, and this number is rising.
- About 1 in every 10 people live in the most deprived areas in England.
- Men in the most affluent areas live about 5 years longer than men in the most deprived areas. For women the life expectancy gap between better off and poorer areas is 4 years.
- About 15 in every 100 people have more than one long-term condition. This rises to 44 people in every 100 for people aged 60 or over.
- People in deprived areas develop long-term conditions 7 to 8 years earlier.
- More than 8 in every 10 people say their health is good or very good. People in deprived areas are more likely to say their health is fair, bad or very bad.
Understanding the leading causes of early death and disability in our area
The biggest causes of early death in the Central East area are:
- cancer
- heart and blood vessel disease
- lung disease and infections
- brain and nerve conditions.
The biggest causes of disability in the Central East area are:
- mental health problems
- muscle, bone and joint problems
- accidents and injuries
- brain and nerve conditions.
Long-term conditions and multiple health problems
Common long-term conditions:
- High blood pressure affects about 12 to 15 in every 100 people.
- Diabetes is especially common in Luton, where about 1 in every 10 people have it, even though the population is relatively young.
- Obesity is under-recorded in GP data. Surveys suggest 25 to 30 in every 100 people are living with obesity.
- Each year about 1 in every 100 people is newly diagnosed with depression
People with more than one condition:
- 65 in every 100 people with diabetes also have high blood pressure
- 21 in every 100 also have heart disease
- 18 in every 100 also have depression
- Mental and physical health problems occur together in 18 to 24 in every 100 people
When people have mental and physical health problems, caring for them becomes more complex and their health outcomes are often worse.
People in Fenland, Luton and Peterborough develop multiple long-term conditions when they are on average 7 to 8 years younger than people in more affluent areas.
Risk factors we can change are:
- obesity
- smoking
- high blood pressure
- low physical activity.
Delaying the onset of long-term conditions by even three to five years can reduce pressure on services.
Health inequalities
People in deprived areas live shorter lives and spend more years in poor health.
Life expectancy differences:
| Indicator | Healthiest areas | Least healthy areas | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy | Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire | Peterborough, Luton | 4.9 years (men), 3.8 years (women) |
| Healthy life expectancy | Hertfordshire, Central Bedfordshire | Luton, Peterborough | 9.8 years (men), 10.9 years (women) |
Three groups of conditions cause more than half of the life expectancy gap:
- Heart and blood vessel disease
- Cancer
- Lung disease
Future projections
The number of older people will grow over the next 5 to 20 years. This will increase demand for health and care services.
Frailty
Frailty means a person is more at risk of falls, illness and loss of independence. The following table shows how many people are currently living with frailty and how we expect this number to change in future years.
| Frailty level | Current estimate | Growth by 2031 | Growth by 2047 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mild frailty | 164,516 people | +12% | +40% |
| Moderate frailty | 40,715 people | +16% | +51% |
| Severe frailty | 20,603 people | +17% | +55% |
Responding to challenges
We face three main challenges:
- More people living with long-term conditions
- Large and unfair differences between communities
- A growing older population with more complex needs
To meet these challenges we need to:
- Prevent illness by tackling smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and low activity
- Reduce inequalities by supporting deprived communities
- Support people to live well with long-term conditions, including mental health needs
- Plan services for more older people living with frailty