City set to unveil new strategy on health

A NEW public health strategy is due to be agreed next week to increase the life expectancy of residents of a Yorkshire city by an extra year over the next decade.

The proposed strategy will be considered by Sheffield City Council on Wednesday to tackle differences in life expectancy between different neighbourhoods. The strategy aims to increase healthy life expectancy by one year over the next 10 years, focusing on areas where people currently have shorter healthy lives.

The cabinet member for health and social care, Coun Cate McDonald, said: “Health and wellbeing is a civic responsibility and we will not shy away from making the changes we need to make – even though this will involve changing cultures, changing procedures and challenging the status quo. This will not be easy and we cannot, as a council, change health inequalities by ourselves. But we want to make real, tangible, changes on the ground that improve the lives of Sheffielders.”

Healthy life expectancy is measured by how long people live and how many years they endure illness. Women in Sheffield can expect to live to 82, but more than 20 of those years involve ill health – giving a healthy life expectancy of 59, compared to England’s average of 64. Men in Sheffield, meanwhile, have a healthy life expectancy of 61, compared to the national average of 63.

The strategy will focus on finding ways to help people get back into work and ensuring they remain healthy. Healthy lifestyles will also be promoted, with strategies linked to tackling obesity, tobacco and alcohol as well as increasing physical activity.