Birmingham’s healthcare crisis

HIGH infant death rates, poverty and obesity are all adding to Birmingham’s healthcare problems, shocking figures have revealed.

But a collaboration between University Hospital Birmingham and Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust could see an improvement in the statistics for the city and Solihull.

Figures show that 46 per cent of residents live in the bottom 10 per cent of most deprived areas in England.

The city also has higher levels of A&E attendances for 0-4 year-olds than the rest of the country.

And more infants die in Birmingham than the rest of England.

Steve McCabe, Labour MP for Selly Oak, said: “You only have to look at these figures to realise there is a pretty pressing need for a better health ser- vice in this part of the world.”

The figures released by UHB also show that 39 per cent of children aged 10-11 were classified overweight or obese in 2014/15, and that both Birmingham and Solihull have the highest levels of family homelessness.

There is also a life expectancy gap, showing Birmingham males and females living less than the national average – and the gap for males is widening.

A spokesman from the hospital said: “In view of the challenges posed by these demographics, the two Trusts will collaboratively identify a model for a single organisation which will bring greater clinical benefits to patients while improving effectiveness, efficiency and driving improvements in services.”