Poor people still dying younger but gap lessens

The review of mortality and morbidity rates showed that the largest Western Trust inequality gaps occurred in alcohol related mortality (112 per cent) and self-harm admissions (89 per cent), teenage births (76 per cent) and smoking during pregnancy (71 per cent).

NI Health & Social Care Inequalities Monitoring System Sub-regional Inequalities, alsoshowed that seven of 33 inequality indicators had gaps of 40 per cent or greater and that gaps in 19 of the indicators were of a magnitude of less than 20 per cent.

On a brighter note the study found that within the Western Trust, there was a narrowing of the gaps for most of the indicators over time. The most notable reduction (proportional terms) in Trust inequality gaps occurred for circulatory admissions, cancer mortality and lung cancer incidence.

But the gaps for male life expectancy, elective hospital admissions and alcohol related mortality all remained broadly similar, while those for ambulance response times and suicide widened over their respective periods.

On male life expectancy the report found that the Western Trust failed to keep pace with the growth experienced at the regional level. Trust life expectancy had been identical to the regional rate in 2001 but by 2008 was 0.8 years (1 per cent) lower.

Male life expectancy within the most deprived areas in the Trust rose sharply between 2002 and 2005 but fell back thereafter and over the period the Trust inequality gap remained broadly similar and stood at 3.4 years (4 per cent) in 2008.

Over the period, female life expectancy across all areas increased. The most deprived areas within the Western Trust saw the greatest increase (2.6 years; 3 per cent).

This compared with a 2 per cent increase in both the Trust overall and NI as a whole. The Trust inequality gap closed from 2.6 years (3 per cent) in 2001 to 1.7 years (2 per cent) in 2008.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey commented: "Health inequalities are the product of a wide range of social, economic and health related issues.

"Although there have been some relative and welcome improvements across a number of indicators (for example, teenage births, infant mortality, admission rates to hospital, cancer incidence and death rates), in many areas the health inequality gaps remain large."

He added: "Dealing with health inequalities involves all of us working together to break the cycle of inequality.

"I am determined to continue to address health inequalities - both through the current Investing for Health Strategy, with its particular focus on the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods and population groups, and through the work of the Public Health Agency which I established last year.

The Minister concluded: "These new structures will bring about better co-ordination and delivery of effective interventions. They will provide support and capacity for local government and other public sector organisations.

"There will be more co-ordinated and enhanced cross-sectoral working. More informed and targeted advice for the public and prevention, early intervention and management built into the design of the broad range of health and social services."

The report quoted the Marmot Review's conclusion that: "Inequalities are a matter of life and death, of health and sickness, of well-being and misery.

"The fact that people in different social circumstances experience avoidable differences in health, well-being and length of life is, quite simply, unfair.

"Creating a fairer society is fundamental to improving the health of the whole population and ensuring a fairer distribution of good health.

"Inequalities in health arise because of inequalities in society – in the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age."