Rochdale has high rate of people who die prematurely

Rochdale has high rate of people who die prematurely

Rochdale has one of the highest rates of people dying before their time (under the age of 75) in the country, according to new figures.

In Rochdale, there were 350 premature deaths per 100,000 people from 2009 to 2011 - 75% higher than the best performing area of Wokingham with 200 such deaths in the same period.

Rochdale has a high death rate from cancer, with 126 deaths per 100,000 people recorded, compared to a low of 83 in Harrow.

Heart disease and stroke accounts for 88 deaths per 100,000 people, compared with a low of 40 in Wokingham.

Lung disease claimed 36 lives per 100,000 people, compared with a low of 14 in Bromley.

Premature deaths from liver disease in Rochdale were 24 per 100,000 people, compared with a low of 9 in Wiltshire.

Whilst Rochdale is one the worst areas for premature deaths, it is not as bad as nearby Manchester, which tops the league table with with 455 deaths per 100,000 people recorded from 2009 to 2011.

A north-south divide is laid bare in a national league table published by by Public Health England.

The new Longer Lives league table website from Public Health England ranks 150 local authorities using a traffic light system, ranging from red for the worst areas to green for the best - Rochdale is red.

Professor Martyn Regan, Director of the PHE Greater Manchester Centre, said: “The evidence is clear - a person’s likelihood of dying prematurely from one of the top four killers varies widely between local authorities due to differences in risk factors, such as obesity, alcohol and smoking and that these are closely linked to economic deprivation.”

Local councils have been given a pivotal role in leading the local health and care system, through their Health and Well-being Boards, to improve the health of their local citizens. Their new public health role was part of the changes to the whole health system in April 2013, part of a move to empower local areas to make real change in people’s lives.

http://longerlives.phe.org.uk/area-details#are/E08000005/par/E92000001