Wasters are sick

DEPRIVATION LINK TO DECLINING HEALTH Death rate four times worse

MOST of us wouldn’t dream of turning up at A&E with athlete’s foot.

But hospital staff regularly have to deal with patients who do so, with piles and cold sores among other “emergencies”. It’d be funny if time-wasters weren’t such a drain on our health service.

SCOTS in the poorest parts of the country are four times more likely to die early than people in wealthy areas, a report warned yesterday.

The Scottish Government findings exposed “entrenched” problems with inequality.

The gap between rich and poor dying from coronary heart disease, alcohol and cancer has increased by 10 per cent in 20 years.

Alcohol remains among the worst problems, with hospital admissions five times more common in the most deprived communities over a year.

For mental health, the gap has improved over the past two years but is still worse than 10 years ago.

The report said: “In 1997, premature mortality rates were three times higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived. In 2017, rates were four times higher in the most deprived areas.”

Dr Lewis Morrison, chairman of the British Medical Association Scotland, said: “These statistics should leave us in absolutely no doubt that stark and unacceptable health inequalities persist across Scotland.

“Finding solutions must be at top of the political agenda.”

Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said: “As today’s report shows, there remain entrenched and stubborn issues that we must address.

“That is why we are taking decisive action on matters such as alcohol, smoking, physical activity and healthy eating.”