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39 To reduce the gap in life expectancy at birth between the fifth of local authorities with the worst health and deprivation indicators and the population as a whole (England).
Baseline and trends: Baseline data – 1995–97 (three-year average). Latest data for 2003–05 show that while life expectancy has improved for England as a whole and the Spearhead group, it has improved more slowly in the Spearhead group. The gap in life expectancy between England and the Spearhead group (in absolute and relative terms) is wider than at the baseline for both males and females.
| Baseline | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 -93 |
1992 -94 |
1993 -95 |
1994 -96 |
1995 -97 |
1996 -98 |
1997 -99 |
1998 -2000 |
1999 -2001 |
2000 -02 |
2001 -03 |
2002-04 | 2003-05 | |
Males |
|||||||||||||
Spearhead group |
71.89 | 72.20 | 72.32 | 72.56 | 72.69 | 72.90 | 73.09 | 73.40 | 73.73 | 74.06 | 74.25 | 74.56 | 74.91 |
Total population in England |
73.69 | 74.02 | 74.18 | 74.44 | 74.61 | 74.84 | 75.09 | 75.38 | 75.71 | 76.01 | 76.24 | 76.55 | 76.92 |
Difference |
1.80 | 1.82 | 1.86 | 1.88 | 1.92 | 1.94 | 2.00 | 1.98 | 1.98 | 1.95 | 1.99 | 1.99 | 2.01 |
% difference* |
2.44% | 2.46% | 2.51% | 2.53% | 2.57% | 2.59% | 2.66% | 2.63% | 2.62% | 2.57% | 2.61% | 2.60% | 2.61 |
Females |
|||||||||||||
Spearhead group |
77.70 | 77.94 | 78.04 | 78.23 | 78.28 | 78.38 | 78.49 | 78.69 | 78.93 | 79.16 | 79.21 | 79.37 | 79.59 |
Total population in England |
79.12 | 79.37 | 79.44 | 79.64 | 79.69 | 79.84 | 79.97 | 80.19 | 80.42 | 80.66 | 80.72 | 80.91 | 81.14 |
Difference |
1.42 | 1.43 | 1.40 | 1.41 | 1.41 | 1.46 | 1.48 | 1.50 | 1.49 | 1.50 | 1.51 | 1.54 | 1.55 |
% difference* |
1.79% | 1.80% | 1.76% | 1.77% | 1.77% | 1.83% | 1.85% | 1.87% | 1.85% | 1.86% | 1.87% | 1.90% | 1.91% |
| * % difference = difference as a percentage of England life expectancy. | |||||||||||||
Definition: Life expectancy at birth for an area in each time period is an estimate of the average number of years a newborn baby would survive if he or she experienced the particular area’s age-specific mortality rates for that time period throughout his or her life. (It is not a forecast of how long babies born could actually expect to live, because the death rates of the area are likely to change in the future and many of those born in the area will live elsewhere for at least some part of their lives). The fifth of local authorities with the worst health and deprivation indicators, known as the Spearhead group, was identified to support the Department of Health PSA health inequalities target in the 2004 Spending Review. It is a fixed group of 70 local authorities identified as those that are in the worst fifth of authorities for three or more of the following five indicators:
- male life expectancy at birth;
- female life expectancy at birth;
- cancer mortality rate in under-75s;
- cardiovascular disease mortality rate in under-75s; and
- Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 (local authority summary), average score.
Life expectancy data are derived from deaths data and population estimates. The figures are rolling three-year averages, produced by aggregating deaths and population estimates for each successive overlapping three-year period. The life expectancy gap is presented in both absolute terms (the difference in life expectancy) and relative terms (the percentage difference in life expectancy).
Data source: Office for National Statistics (life expectancy data based on population estimates and mortality statistics from death registrations).
Tackling Health Inequalities – A programme for action was published in July 2003. It sets out plans to tackle health inequalities over the next three years, providing the basis for meeting the Department of Health PSA health inequalities target and addressing the wider causes of health inequalities. The programme for action includes a set of national headline indicators supporting the target, covering key wider determinants of health and relevant factors within and outside the National Health Service. These indicators will be monitored to check progress on key aspects of the inequality agenda.
Further information
The latest report on progress against the Department of Health PSA health inequalities target can be found at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/Dct_063689
Data for life expectancy at birth for health and local authorities in the UK can be found at:
www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8841&Pos=1&ColRank=1&Rank=272
Data for life expectancy by social class can be found at:
www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=8460&Pos=1&ColRank=1&Rank=272
Tackling Health Inequalities: Status Report on the Programme for Action 2006 update of Headline indicators provides a report on progress against the health inequalities PSA target and the national headline indicators. It can be found at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyandGuidance/
“Tackling health inequalities: A Programme for Action” sets out plans to tackle health inequalities. It can be found at:
www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Healthandsocialcaretopics/Healthinequalities/ProgrammeforAction/Dct_4072948