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New hopes of a narrowing health gap

Public health leaders have welcomed news that the gap in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in the UK has reduced for the first time in decades.

As they met in Glasgow this month for the annual conference of the UK Public Health Association, campaigners applauded the narrowing of the health divide as evidence that government policy was moving in the right direction.

Figures published by National Statistics show that the difference in life expectancy for men in unskilled social classes compared to men in professional classes fell from 9.5 years in 1992-96 to 7.4 years in 1997-99. For women the gap reduced from 6.4 years in 1992-96 to 5.7 in 1997-99. But the divide still yawns wide. Men in unskilled classes are likely to die at 71.1 years compared to 78.5 for their professional counterparts, while women in unskilled classes are likely to die at 77.1 years compared to 82.8 for women in professional classes.

Public health minister Yvette Cooper said: ‘This is a positive first step but there is still a long way to go. Those from the lowest social class still have a life expectancy lower than that enjoyed by professional men 30 years ago.’

Geof Rayner, chair of UKPHA, welcomed the improvement but said: ‘One swallow does not make a spring.’ He believed that government policies aimed at reducing health inequalities were beginning to take effect. ‘Improvements in the level of income support and so on do seem to be making a difference.’

But life for some of Britain’s poorest families was still ‘wretched’, he said, calling for more public funds to be invested in local regeneration schemes.