Rural dream? It’s more like a nightmare

MILLIONS living in the countryside suffer from deprivation, illness and disability, according to a report.

It said one in six areas with the worst health and economic problems are rural.

Previous research by the Office for National Statistics found life expectancy in the countryside is at least two years longer than in cities, and country dwellers are also richer on average.

But the new report, from the Local Government Association and Public Health England, said official statistics do not paint an accurate picture.

‘This lack of information is masking pockets of significant deprivation and poor health in rural areas,’ it added.

It pointed to an ageing countryside population, with nearly a quarter of residents aged over 65, compared with around one in seven in cities.

Older people need more healthcare but one rural resident in five lives three miles or more from a GP surgery, and only just over half are within five miles of a hospital, the report said.

It added the Government should improve its collection of statistics so it could better understand rural needs.