Agenda item

The Health and Wellbeing Board considered a report of the Director of Public Health that provided an update on the latest data on life expectancy in the Oldham borough, which has been produced for Oldham’s Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

The report did not include information on the key contributors to the life expectancy gap between Oldham and England, as Officers were waiting for national data in this regard to be updated.

The report was closely related to the Health Inequalities Plan, as the focus of that plan was on reducing inequalities in life expectancy and health life expectancy.

It was reported that for the period 2018 - 2020 revealed that Oldham’s life expectancy at birth was lower than the England, North West and Greater Manchester averages for both males and females. The most recent life expectancy at birth figure for Oldham males is 77.2 years and for Oldham females is 80.5 years. The latest life expectancy at birth figures represented a slight decrease for both males and females in Oldham compared with the figures for 2017 - 2019.

Life expectancy at age 65 years is lower in Oldham than for England, North West and Greater Manchester for both males and females. In addition, Oldham had the fifth lowest life expectancy at birth for males across Greater Manchester. Oldham females rank fourth lowest.

For males, the Borough’s Alexandra, Werneth and Coldhurst Wards had the lowest life expectancy at birth, whilst Saddleworth South, Saddleworth North and Royton North Wards had the highest. There was an 11.8-year life expectancy gap between the Ward with the highest and lowest life expectancy.

For females, the Borough’s Alexandra, Coldhurst and St. Mary’s had the lowest life expectancy at birth, whilst Saddleworth North, Saddleworth South and Chadderton North had the highest. The gap in life expectancy for women between the wards with the lowest and highest life expectancy stood at 12.8 years.

The Latest figures (for the 2017 – 2019 period) revealed that the percentage of life spent in good health has increased slightly for Oldham males and decreased for females compared with the previous reporting period of 2016 - 2018.

The Board was informed that life expectancy at birth was a measure of the average number of years a person could expect to live based on contemporary mortality rates. For a particular area and time-period, it was an estimate of the average number of years a new-born baby would survive if he or she experienced the age-specific mortality rates for that area and time-period throughout his or her life.

Oldham's male life expectancy at birth for 2018 - 2020 was 77.2 years, 0.4 years lower than the figure for 2017 - 2019 of 77.6 years. This was in line with national and regional decreases. Most recent 2018 - 2020 figures showed that Oldham’s male life expectancy at birth was falling short of the England average by 2.2 years, the North West’s average by 0.8 years and the Greater Manchester average by 0.3 years. From 2001 - 2003 until the most recent reporting period of 2018/20, the overall increase in male life expectancy was similar between Oldham (4.7%), the North West (4.5%) and England (4.2%).

Oldham's female life expectancy at birth for the 2018 - 2020 period was 80.5 years, which was 0.5 years lower than the figure for 2017 - 2019 of 81.0 years. This was in line with national and regional decreases. The most recent 2018 - 2020 figures showed that Oldham's female life expectancy at birth was falling short of the England average by 2.6 years, the North West average by 1.2 years and the Greater Manchester average by 0.8 years

Overall, from 2001 - 2003 until the most recent reporting period of 2018 - 2020, the overall increase in female life expectancy was similar between Oldham (2.4%), the North West (2.9%) and England (3.0%).

Across Greater Manchester there were considerable inequalities in life expectancy at birth for males. Oldham ranked 5th lowest across Greater Manchester at 77.2 years. Trafford ranked highest at 80.2 years and Manchester was lowest at 75.5 years. Only Stockport and Trafford had rates higher than the England average.

A similar pattern emerged with the female rates. Oldham ranked 4th lowest at 80.5 years. Trafford ranked highest at 83.8 years and Manchester was the lowest at 79.9 years. Stockport and Trafford were, again, the only Greater Manchester authorities to exceed the England average.

In considering the report the Board requested that further extracts and information, appertainng to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment be included on future agendas for meetings of the Health and Wellbeing Board.

Resolved:

1.    That the Health and Wellbeing Board notes the data presented in the submitted report and the implications for policy, planning and delivery across the Oldham borough’s system.

2.    The Board request that further extracts from the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment be included on the agenda for future meetings of the Health and Wellbeing Board.