19.12.17
Scottish doctors urge stronger action over massive life-expectancy inequalities
Doctors in Scotland have warned the government that stronger action is required after figures revealed the huge gap between healthy life expectancy in communities.
Numbers released by Scotland’s chief statistician show that the difference between the most and least deprived communities is 25.9 years for a male and 22.1 years for a female.
BMA Scotland chair Dr Peter Bennie said the revelation should “shame us as a society” and that the numbers show Scottish health still has a “long, long way to go” to tackle inequalities.
Healthy life expectancy measures how long an individual can expect to have good health, with today’s figures showing men in the most deprived areas should remain in good health until the average age of just 43.9.
Women have a slightly higher average at 49.9, with women in the least deprived areas expecting to reach 72.0 while the average age for men in those areas is 69.8.
“These latest statistics show that efforts to tackle health inequalities still have a long, long way to go,” Bennie stated. “The gap in healthy life expectancy between our most and least deprived communities is stark and should shame us as a society.
“Far greater action is needed to address Scotland’s health inequalities. That means stronger public health measures to address issues like obesity and alcohol misuse, but it also requires action to address problems like low pay, poor educational outcomes, and inadequate housing.
“We cannot keep letting more years pass without stronger action from every level of government to address these persistent inequalities.”
Although the numbers show that there has been little to no change in inequalities across healthy life expectancy and a number of other categories there are some key areas in which Scottish public health is improving.
The coronary heart disease mortality figures have seen the gap halve from its widest point in 1998, while the inequalities gap for alcohol-related admissions has reduced by 32% since the time series began in 1996.
In terms of premature mortality under 75 years old, the gap has reduced from its 2002 peak but has continued a trend of rising since 2013.
Similarly, the inequality difference in alcohol-related deaths is currently 28% lower than its peak – also in 2002 – but has also been increasing since 2013 and is now higher than at the start of the time series in 1997.
NHE has contacted the Scottish department of health and is awaiting a response.
Top image: NHSGGC
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