‘The UK’s health is going backwards’, the chief executive of The Health Foundation said after publishing new research.
Data examined by The Health Foundation shows healthy life expectancy has declined by about two years over the past decade, dropping to just under 61 for both men and women.
The UK is now among only five of the 21 wealthiest countries to record a fall in healthy life expectancy, with the second steepest decline overall.
Researchers pointed to a combination of factors behind the trend, including poverty, housing conditions, lifestyle issues such as obesity, and the lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The findings, based on figures from the Office for National Statistics covering 2022 to 2024 compared with 2012 to 2014, also highlight widening inequalities.
People living in the most affluent areas can expect to spend around 20 more years in good health than those in the poorest communities, the analysis shows.
Within England, the London borough of Richmond upon Thames recorded the highest levels of healthy life expectancy, reaching 69 years for men and 70 for women.
By contrast, in Blackpool the figure was 51 for men, while in Hartlepool it stood at 51 for women.
London was the only region to see an improvement over the period. In more than 90% of areas, healthy life expectancy now falls below the state pension age of 66 or 67, and in around one in ten places it is below 55.
International comparisons using data from the World Health Organisation place the UK 20th out of 21 comparable countries, with only the US ranking lower.
Against this backdrop, The Health Foundation claimed the results should act as a wake-up call for policy makers.
Andrew Mooney, the think tank’s principal data analyst, said: ‘The UK has the highest levels of obesity in western Europe and there has been a surge in mental ill health, especially among young people.’
He added that this had created ‘a significant economic cost, with poor health driving people out of the workforce and locking young people out of education, employment and training.’
Speaking to The Guardian, Jennifer Dixon, chief executive of The Health Foundation, claimed ‘the UK’s health is going backwards’.
‘The lights on the dashboard are flashing red,’ she continued. ‘We are the most obese country in western Europe, mental ill health has surged to unprecedented levels and more people than ever before are living with chronic health conditions.’
On a brighter note, the report outlined overall life expectancy has remained broadly stable, despite healthy life expectancy falling.
Dr Layla McCay, policy director at the NHS Alliance, said: ‘The figures are a stark reminder of how deeply health inequalities are affecting people’s lives, with too many communities in deprived areas spending more years in poor health.
‘Our members have been clear that the answer has to be prevention first – tackling the wider determinants of health, strengthening community-based care and improving access to support closer to home.’
Image: Amy Elting/UnSplash
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