‘Damning’: Poorest Scots spend 24 fewer years in good health compared to the rich
‘Issues with alcohol are not tackled fast enough’
SCOTS spend more than a third of their lives in poor health due to ‘years of NHS mismanagement’ under the SNP, it was claimed yesterday.
Damning figures reveal people from the most deprived areas of the country now spend 24 fewer years in good health than the better-off.
Overall, males born between 2018 and 2020 can expect an average healthy life expectancy of 60.9 years, while females can expect an average of 61.8 years of good health.
The latest figures from the National Records of Scotland (NRS) show healthy life expectancy has fallen for the past four years for women and the past three for men.
Last night Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: ‘These numbers are damning proof of the impact years of NHS mismanagement by the SNP has had on the Scottish people.
‘It’s those from disadvantaged backgrounds who suffer most under this SNP Government. The impact of the pandemic will not have helped but the decline predates it.
‘It’s an inevitable consequence of more people being forced to wait for treatment and of cancelled operations spiralling, which in turn is down to lack of resources.
‘The buck stops with Humza Yousaf, who must act urgently.’
Healthy life expectancy is an estimate of the number of years lived in ‘very good’ or ‘good’ general health, based on how people perceive their state of health at the time of completing annual population surveys, as well as population estimates.
For men, healthy life expectancy has fallen since 2015-17, when it was 62.3 years, and since 2014-16 for women, when it was 63.3.
People in the most deprived communities spend on average 24 fewer years in good health than those in the least deprived.
Those in the poorest areas also die younger, the NRS said, and spend more than a third of their lives in poor health.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: ‘Complex health needs are on the rise, and issues with alcohol and obesity are not being tackled anywhere near fast enough.
‘Covid-19 and the failure to turn the corner on rising drugs deaths has also played a significant role. These are all areas where government disinterest and neglect has played a significant role in us finding ourselves in this position.’
In 2018-20 Orkney had the highest healthy life expectancy for men and women, at 71.2 years and 77.5 years. The council areas with the lowest healthy life expectancy were North Ayrshire, where women would live in good health for only 54 years, and Inverclyde, where men would live in good health for just 54.4 years.
Overall, men in the wealthiest areas could expect to live 69.7 years in good health compared to 45.5 years for those in the most deprived. Women in the wealthiest areas could expect 72.9 healthy years compared to 48.6 years for those in the most deprived.
Brian Sloan, chief executive at Age Scotland, said: ‘The disparity between different parts of the country is widening and there is a clear link between levels of poverty and overall life expectancy.’
The Scottish Government said it was working to improve healthy life expectancy by tackling smoking, obesity and alcohol misuse.
A spokesman said: ‘We are also adopting a place-based approach to local health improvement, supporting joint-working across the wider public and third sectors to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities.’