Worcestershire News
We're finding ways to keep you living longer
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| Councillors, peer reviewers and other representatives from Wychavon with members of the health review team. From left, Fiona Narburgh, Steve Gallagher, Judy Pearce, Kevin Lynes, Judith Wright, Paul Middlebrough, Sue Avery and Jack Hegarty |
PEOPLE living in the Wychavon district live longer than the national average, according to a recent report.
Life expectancy in the district is now 78.8 years for men and 83.2 years for women, according to an annual public health report.
By comparison, Malvern Hills lags slightly behind with a life expectancy of 78.5 years for men, just above the national average, and 82 for women, which is in line with the national average.
Worcester men live on average until 77.7 years and women 81.5 years, both similar to the England average.
The figures also show there has been a substantial drop in the death rate in Wychavon since 1996 which was better than in Worces-tershire as a whole, although health was poorest among those living in Droitwich's Westlands estate.
The report also touched on the fact that, while the number of deaths from major causes, such as cancers and circulatory diseases, has fallen, only lifestyle changes will enable those reductions to continue.
Those were also some of the issues discussed during a pilot scheme between Wychavon District Council and the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA).
The peer review project, which is funded by the Department of Health, aims to tackle health improvements in the district.
A review team spent three days meeting staff, partners and community groups to see what was already on offer in Wychavon and what else could be done.
Fiona Narburgh, of Wych-avon council, said: "One of the things shown was that deaths are falling on things like cancers but it all relates to lifestyle. Smoking, alcohol and obesity are the issues.
"The whole point of the peer review is that health is not just an NHS issue, it's how people live their lives. That's why councils have a role."
However, she said the council had to strike a balance between educating people and preaching to them.
Steve Gallagher, peer team leader, said: "Wychavon already does lots of things that contribute to public health from the provision of parks and leisure centres to housing improvements and has also run lots of very good specific projects.
"One of the key recommendations we are making is that Wychavon pulls together all this work, then draws up an action plan with the primary care trust and other partners that will increase the benefits to Wychavon residents and make the best use of their combined resources."
3:06pm Friday 16th May 2008
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