“It doesn’t surprise me that the life expectancy is so low, living here is awful”
“Our members have been clear that the answer has to be prevention first”(Image: Getty Images)
The healthy life expectancy age has plummeted on average in the UK, with Blackpool showing concerning results.
Although some affluent areas of the country might anticipate jogging and yoga classes well into their 70s, new data has shown the opposite elsewhere. According to the Health Foundation, the age at which the average Brit can expect to live in good health is now just 61 – two years younger than a decade ago.
As the state pension age rises, the average worker could see their health decline some five years before they can even retire and, in the poorest areas, this gap stretches to a startling 15 years. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, analysed by the Health Foundation, shows that between 2012 and 2024, healthy life expectancy (HLE) plummeted across the board.
This has dropped from 62.9 to 60.7 years for men and from 63.7 to 60.9 years for women. However, a hugely significant factor for this age is location, the Mirror reports.
In one of the wealthiest areas, Richmond upon Thames, men can expect to stay healthy until 69.3 and women until 70.3. However, in Blackpool, the healthy life expectancy for men is just 50.9 years, and for women in Hartlepool, it’s 51.2 years.
For Alice (whose name has been changed), a 61-year-old from Blackpool, this wasn’t a shock, as she herself had endured three major surgeries and saw her partner pass away last year. She said: “It doesn’t surprise me that the life expectancy is so low, living here is awful.
“Drugs, rats, sewage, extremely poor health care, you can’t even get an appointment to see a GP. It’s impossible to be seen in an emergency at your GP, and if you go to A&E, take your bed, you’re in for the long haul, so people don’t bother.”
In Blackpool, the healthy life expectancy for men is just 50.9 years(Image: Peter Byrne/PA)
Kate Lamb, another Blackpool resident was diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS (PPMS), a type of multiple sclerosis characterised by a progressive worsening of neurological symptoms, three years ago. Kate, who’d loved running and keeping fit, said the diagnosis came as a “huge change”, which was made harder by the state of local healthcare.
She claims to have “begged” her GP for help as her mobility declined, and she was offered anti-depressants. She eventually travelled to Poland after being told the wait for a neurology appointment was 12 months. She said: “I was offered anti-depressants from another and told by a private neurologist that I had anxiety. I felt anxious because I couldn’t walk.
“A lot of the time, I’ve had to look into things myself or push for support just to try and stay as mobile and independent as I can. I think in a place like Blackpool, where a lot of people are already dealing with different challenges, the lack of early help and ongoing support just means people’s health can go downhill quicker.”
Considering why Blackpool in particular was lagging behind in terms of health, Kate reflected: “From what I’ve seen and experienced in Blackpool, it’s not just one thing – it’s a mix of lifestyle, deprivation, and the poor level of ongoing support people get once something goes wrong with their health.”
Kate is now calling for change, emphasising the need for “more focus on helping people stay well, not just stepping in when things get to a crisis point”. She explained: “Even things like access to rehab, exercise support, or just more joined-up care would make a big difference.”
The Mirror also spoke to Mark Hardy, who has lived in Richmond for 18 years and runs the environmental initiative Thai Upon Thames – Community Cleans. The 58-year-old has been impressed by the London Borough’s green spaces, including their “free outdoor gyms, and amazing riverside walks”.
Mark compared the quality of life with other areas where he has lived. He added: “It’s a lot safer, cleaner and has so many wonderful volunteering opportunities that keep people fit, active and with a regular, useful purpose throughout their lives.” He’s also praised the local wellness centres and doctors, particularly the “first-class Teddington walk-in centre”.
According to Mark: “Wait times are very reasonable, and I have been dealt with very well. Teddington has an exceptional minor injuries unit, and the staff there are second to none.”
Richmond upon Thames
Dr Layla McCay – director of policy at The NHS Alliance – said that the findings “are a stark reminder of how deeply health inequalities are affecting people’s lives, with too many communities in deprived areas spending more years in poor health”. She added: “Our members have been clear that the answer has to be prevention first – tackling the wider determinants of health, strengthening community-based care and improving access to support closer to home.
“The government’s neighbourhood health direction is the right one, but the test now is whether local systems, councils and voluntary sector partners get the resources and flexibility needed to turn that ambition into real action that will narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy. If we don’t make this a priority, the gap could widen.”
The Mirror also spoke to Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, about the recent findings – and what it means for each generation, from the baby boomers through to Gen Alpha.
She said: “What is striking about the most recent data is not simply that people are living longer, but that we are seeing a clear expansion of morbidity, meaning that more of those additional years are now being lived in poor health, with healthy life expectancy falling to just over 60 years on average and declining across most regions and populations, which fundamentally alters how we should think about ageing across generations.
“If we take each generation in turn, there are distinct but overlapping patterns emerging which reflect both medical progress and societal change, and in many ways each cohort is inheriting the consequences of the one before it.”
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