North-south life expectancy divide rises to 20-year high

COVID has worsened the gulf in life expectancy between rich and poor areas, helping drive the divide as high as 10 years, figures show.

The gap in lifespan between the wealthiest and poorest areas has more than doubled since the early 2000s, analysis by the King’s Fund indicates.

The think tank said the pandemic has exacerbated the difference between the North and South as well as what it describes as the “deprivation divide”.

Previously the widest gap was between Hart in Hampshire and Manchester, which stood at 8.2 years in 2001-03

Now the gap between similarly contrasting locations – Westminster and Blackpool – has drifted to a 10.7-year differential, The Guardian reported.

Veena Raleigh, a fellow at the King’s Fund said: “There is a growing chasm in health inequalities revealed by the data.

“Our analysis shows that life expectancy has continued to increase in wealthier areas but has virtually stagnated in deprived areas in the North with the result that the gap in life expectancy between the richest and poorest parts of the country has grown by almost two-and-a-half years over the past two decades.”

London was found to have experienced a significant rise in life expectancy, despite its high levels of deprivation and large ethnic minority populations, according to the report.

This was said to be due to the younger population in the capital with healthier lifestyles, who also benefit from better access to quality NHS care.

The King’s Trust said the threat of new Covid variants, the unknown

impact of long Covid and the delays of diagnosis and treatment caused by the backlog of NHS care could further drive the life expectancy divide wider.

A Government spokesman said: “Covid-19 has exposed fractures and inequalities within our health and care system.

“This Government is committed to levelling up from the pandemic and the new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will drive the mission to tackle health inequalities to ensure everyone has the chance to live longer and healthier lives.”