Report highlights major health problems
Smoking still causing health board headache
The number of women smoking while pregnant in Ayrshire is among the highest in Scotland.
And hospital visits due to alcohol remain above the national average, with higher levels than the mid 1980’ s.
These are some of the findings from the annual review of health in Ayrshire from NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Director of Public Health, Dr Carol Davidson.
The report says: “As I discussed in my last report, although rates of smoking continue to reduce gradually nationally and locally, rated in Ayrshire and Arran are among the highest in Scotland, particularly for women smoking during pregnancy.
“We need to increase our efforts to reduce these rates.”
The number of deaths related to alcohol is expected to have “peaked” according to Dr Davidson, with the health board expecting to see further falls in future years.
But the number of hospital stays related to alcohol remain higher in Ayrshire compared to Scotland as a whole, despite hospitalisation rates decreasing since 2008/ 09.
As well as high numbers of smoking and problems related to alcohol, the review also found that life expectancy in the region “lags behind Scotland” – despite improving on 2015.
The report says : “Life expectancy has increased noticeably between 2002- 04 and 2012- 14 in Ayrshire and Arran, in each Health and Social Care Partnership, and in Scotland.
“However life expectancy in Ayrshire and Arran still lags behind Scotland and East Ayrshire lags behind North and South Ayrshire for both men and women.”
Advances made since the 2015 review, including in support for people suffering from mental health issues, are also highlighted by Dr Davidson.
The report says: “Suicide rates are the lowest they have been for decades although loneliness and social isolation continue as important issues to address.
“Locally in Ayrshire and Arran we are seeing lots of change and innovation in our mental health services.
“We now have a well developed ‘ recovery’ rather than a ‘ maintenance’ approach to support people with addictions and care in the community and minimising any hospital stays for mental health problems is usual practice.”
The report also found that the three main causes of death - cancer, heart disease and stroke - accounted for 57 per cent of all deaths in Ayrshire and Arran, while the area has higher rates of deaths under the age of 75 than Scotland.
Dr Davidson also outlines steps for the board to take to improve the overall health of people in Ayrshire and Arran, including new programmes to encourage healthier lifestyles prioritising disease prevention, early detection and effective management of illness.