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Postcode lottery knocks 10 years off life

Lisa Woodhouse
17/ 8/2005

A DAMNING report has revealed your postcode could play a huge part in how long you’ll live.

Residents in leafy suburban wards like Bramhall can expect to enjoy TEN years more than their counterparts in six of the most deprived wards in Stockport.

The shocking statistics, published in the council’s Annual Performance Assessment and Joint Area Review, revealed life expectancy in Brinnington, Cale Green, Offerton, Edgeley and North and South Reddish is a full ten years below the borough average.

The three Brinnington councillors condemned the news as “appalling” and insisted money must be made available to tackle the problem.

Councillor Maureen Rowles said: “These statistics are appalling and it is distressing for people in Brinnington to hear this. Ten years is a huge difference.

“More resources need ploughing into the area. The council has the regeneration programme going but other agencies need to pour more in. Not enough has been put in over the last ten to 12 years.

“Unless we provide more accessible and affordable services for people on low incomes, nothing will change.”

Coun Colin MacAlister added: “It’s not a surprise to me, but Brinnington has been in the top eight most deprived wards in England for the last 15 years – at some stage people will start to listen and put the resources in place to combat the problem.”

Report

The report, discussed at the council’s recent Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee meeting, also found teenage pregnancy, unemployment rates, youth crime and drug abuse are well above the borough average in these wards, which rank among the least affluent nationally.

While acknowledging the below-average figures detailed are not exclusive to the six wards, the report stated prospects elsewhere in the borough are significantly better.

It also said key challenges facing the borough include limited resources for regeneration initiatives.

Andrew Webb, the council’s director of social services, said central government funding was a problem.

"We are the lowest funded per-head in Greater Manchester from government money.

"We have to work on doing more creative things with the money and be the best all-rounder as a council.”

Dr Steven Watkins, Stockport’s director of public health, added: “I think ten years’ difference in life expectancy is a lot. But it’s not shocking. Because overall we are a wealthy borough, we don’t get the special resources we need to tackle the deprivation.”

Bramhall Coun Maureen Walsh added: “I would have imagined that Bramhall residents live longer but, then again, it doesn't matter whether you are in Bramhall or Brinnington, young people will make choices now that will affect their long term health like drug or alcohol abuse.”


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Most recent 2 of 13 user comments

   Never mind postcode lottery, its a matter of which country you live in, whether or not you get the funds spent on you. Two words - Barnett Formula. A life in Manchester is worth B#1,000 LESS than any life in Scotland. Imagine how the quality of all our lives would change if we were given the same access to English taxes that the Scottish get? Even the Welsh pay less for prescriptions than the English - and they will be totally free for all Welsh residents by 2007. Ask yourself why there isn't an English labour party and why they campaigned with Scotland/Wales/Britain forward not back, but not England? Ask yourself why they won't allow England its own Parliament, equal to the one Scotland was given. Its because without English taxes (England is the ONLY country to pay more in taxes than it takes out), the Scots would lose their generous funding allowances. And the oil is partly England's as well - so don't fall for that one!
Dee, Nr Manchester
3/09/2005 at 21:31

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   Colin W, you have forgotten your roots, you know what its like in Benchill, and its not got any better . You must also be aware of the standards of schools in the area, they consistently hover amongst the worst in the country. You must also know about the complete apathetic approach from many parents to education for their children. There are victims of this, kids that leave school unable to read or write and have had negative role models all their lives. To be honest, im amazed that so many people from 'wivvy' end up doing so well, mostly by leaving the place. Ask yourself, why did your mum have to work 3 jobs to get a decent wage ?, because she was used and abused by the system, and the comments you made are showing signs that you have become part of that system,blame the perpetrators NOT the victims.
Andy, Wythenshwe
31/08/2005 at 17:16

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