Salford's life expectancy shame

Neal Keeling

September 18, 2009

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BLIGHTED: Hankinson Way in Salford

LIFE expectancy in two inner-city districts of Salford are among the lowest in Britain.

The stark differences in England's health is highlighted in a report which calls for a new drive to cut the number of people with cardiovascular disease - CVD.

In Pendleton, average life expectancy is 70.7 years and in nearby Ordsall, 71.1. Both are in the bottom five for the country - the lowest being the Middlehaven area of Middlesbrough at 67.8.

The highest is affluent Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk, which is 93.4 years.

A report by the Care Quality Commission says patients get different standards of care in different areas as many primary care services including GP practices do not do enough to tackle the problem.

It calls for measures to improve the performance of GPs on statin prescribing, cholesterol management and targeting of poor areas.

CVD is the name for a group of conditions which affect the heart, arteries, or blood vessels - including heart disease and strokes. It is the nation's biggest killer - more than 200,000 deaths a year.

Regeneration

It is caused mainly by obesity and smoking.

Pendleton and Ordsall are both in the middle of a city which has some of the highest rates in the country for heart disease.

Pendleton sits next to the busy A6 - a main route into Manchester - and is dominated by high-rise blocks.

A new Tesco superstore and huge investment in housing improvements are in the pipeline for the district. But unemployment is high and regeneration in the area and adjoining Langworthy has been slow.

Ordsall has the glitz of The Quays with the Lowry arts centre, plush apartments, and an indoor shopping mall.

But a large council estate is an island between the busy dual carriageways of Trafford Road and Regent Road.

The estate has had huge public and private investment in recent years, including a new primary school, the refurbishment of a sports centre, and new apartment homes on Orsdsall Lane.

Karl Brookes, spokesman for Salford NHS, said: "We are optimistic that our hard working Health Improvement teams will deliver better health to the people we serve in these areas."

Coun John Warmisham, who has represented Pendleton, said: "We are doing our best to break that cycle of poor eating habits, smoking, and no exercise, which often goes with deprivation and unemployment."

Salfordians speak out on health divide

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Lynn Cullimore (18/09/2009 at 16:31)

And Councillor Warmisham is obviously a shining example of someone who is trying to break the cycle of poor eating habits and no exercise...

Of Denton, Tameside (18/09/2009 at 16:48)

Are we really surprised? Have you seen Salford and it's inhabitants recently? It needs regeneration, regeneration, regeneration!

davefb, bolton (18/09/2009 at 17:14)

well , we have to remember , it's a 'dirty old town' ..

Almighty God, Salford (18/09/2009 at 17:23)

The regeneration is no good, all they're doing is moving all of us somewhere else, and building town houses for all the yuppies to live in. Like we need more yuppie housing, there's loads already, and most of it is emtpy.

So all that happens is us residents are relocated and still suffering the same deprivation etc, while the area its self appears nicer coz its got new yuppies living there. What about us lot?

Also, 70.7 is well above what I want to live to.

Sparky was the best ever (18/09/2009 at 18:03)

It's not just health care. It's mostly the crappy attitude towards your own health, especially somewhere like Ordsall, where the youth culture is crime and drug infested and the working man eats fried food, chain smokes and lives in the pub. All the NHS can do in that environment is try to patch up the mess they create for themselves.

Andanotherthing, Mcr (18/09/2009 at 18:48)

Almighty God, Salford
18/09/2009 at 17:23

You can stop this. If you are truely an Almighty God from salford. Or you are my gran, with a pinny.

PW, Manchester (18/09/2009 at 19:47)

Typical nanny state, worrying about something they can't do anything about. Well you need to get out there and stop people smoking, eating chips and everything else instead of wringing your hands over it. You've tried to educate them, but they won't believe you until they kick the bucket. You can take a horse to water etc etc. So shut up whining.

Is It Me? (18/09/2009 at 20:26)

Twelve years of Labour rule has done nothing for its core voters! It's alright going on about poverty and deprivation but London,Brum,Glasgow etc have similar problems but seem to get looked after better!

citycentre, manchester (18/09/2009 at 21:14)

"Twelve years of Labour rule has done nothing for its core voters"

Beyond providing an excellent free (mostly) at point of use health service what should they do, roam the streets taking away peoples pies ad smokes and force feed them cabbage?

Local lad, outsidethebox (18/09/2009 at 21:43)

Cheap food and drinking /smoking and eating to many chips and greasy foods.Once people move on from the victorian ways maybe then people will feel and look better.I see lots of fat people now and it runs in families i see mother father and kids over weight.

schgittor (18/09/2009 at 22:41)

Are we really surprised? Have you seen Salford and it's inhabitants recently? It needs regeneration, regeneration, regeneration!
Of Denton, Tameside
18/09/2009 at 16:48

I would rather live anywhere than Tameside, especially Denton. Have YOU seen Tameside lately?

Free Red, Manchester (18/09/2009 at 22:43)

Solfoedians might not live as long as some suvveners but who wants to live 90 years on salad! I'd just as sooner take 70 years on fish & chips ta very much.

nyb, ex manc (18/09/2009 at 22:53)

Booze, cigs, junk food, chav lifestyle = poor health.
Nowt to do with unemployment or lack of money.

morticia, worsley (19/09/2009 at 08:20)

No reason to live a long life unless one has good health, mental as well as physical. No use having a good body if one has become senile etc., Doubt things will improve for Salford, people always like putting it down too, which really annoys me being born there. Despite their way of life, some decent people still live there. Have to agree with Almighty God for once!

morticia, worsley (19/09/2009 at 08:21)

As for you Davefb, so is Bolton or Notlob as I call it!

Mr Manchester (19/09/2009 at 08:44)

Parts of Glasgow (east) still claim the mantle of having the lowest life expectancy, not just in Britain but across Europe. I'm not saying that to denigrate Glasgow, but these areas (Salford, Glasgow, Birmingham) continually need to be addressed in terms of health etc.

Poorer families will eat poorer food, but it's no fault of the children brought up in that situation, and it just seems to repeat itself through generations. The government can do better, and the people themselves have to take responsibility for how they treat their bodies.

AngusDangus, Salford (19/09/2009 at 08:54)

I am not in the least suprised living under the stress of Salford City Council.I read an article in a well known magazine and Salford council was voted the most stressful to deal with.

wolftone, salford (19/09/2009 at 09:04)

Its hardly surprising given that the whole mapped area of Ordsall and Langworthy have been building sites for the last 10 yrs- contractors have for years thrown their rubbish and silt down the already defunct drainage systems causing backup and overflow onto the roads every time it rains, just look next time you drive through on a rainy day....and if you challenge them..the answer you get is...well its only Salford...what are they grumbling for there getting it for nowt...disgraceful.
Children are growing up on a perpetual building site. The air is always polluted with dust, fumes from all the HGVS and heaven knows what else thats being transported in and out of the area from media city to Salford precinct.
Change is needed, no one argues with that, but spare a thought for all those kids who through no fault of their own have to live in a polluted environment whilst it takes place

Forby, Sydney Australia (19/09/2009 at 11:15)

As an Expat I am absolutely shocked at the life exspectency in Salford,whats happening in my home town,and that huge difference between Bury St.Edmunds in Suffolk and Salford,its not just coming down to what people eat,there is defenetly something lacking in the health system.

salfordrat (19/09/2009 at 18:18)

Booze, cigs, junk food, chav lifestyle = poor health. Nowt to do with unemployment or lack of money. - nyb, ex manc

Where did you get your degree in social science nyb? Did it come with a certain amount of ring pulls from drinks cans?

Go to salford precinct to do your shopping - take about 20 quid and assume that is about all you can afford, if you are lucky, out of your JSA (apprx 60 quid a week before bills, clothes, travel etc) and try to feed yourself on healthy food. Did you know that in certain frozen food stores, the kind that proliferate in areas of high unemployment, you can get five micro' meals for four pound? Not healthy, not nutricious, but mostly edible. Get of your high horse you mindless zombie.

Censored, Stretford (20/09/2009 at 18:12)

I bet Hazel Nuts doesn't live here.

davefb, bolton (21/09/2009 at 11:50)

morticia , i didn't say it. ewan mccoll did.

Jomov (21/09/2009 at 12:05)

" Go to salford precinct to do your shopping - take about 20 quid and assume that is about all you can afford, if you are lucky, out of your JSA (apprx 60 quid a week before bills, clothes, travel etc) and try to feed yourself on healthy food. Did you know that in certain frozen food stores, the kind that proliferate in areas of high unemployment, you can get five micro' meals for four pound? Not healthy, not nutricious, but mostly edible. Get of your high horse you mindless zombie. "
salfordrat
19/09/2009 at 18:18

£60 per week isn't all that bad is it...I work and have less than that to spend per week and I buy all my food fresh and cook it myself...

Billy the Fish! (21/09/2009 at 12:25)

When I shop, I do notice that carrots are cheaper than frozen pizzas!

I cooked for 4 people yesterday, a posh (and some say expensive) organic chicken, potatoes and steamed veg. The bill, 9 quid for 4! If I didn’t bother with the fancy chicken I could have done that dinner for a lot less!

Also, last time I went for a walk , it didn’t cost me anything!

Jomov is right........................

nyb, ex manc (21/09/2009 at 14:03)

salfordrat..."Get of your high horse you mindless zombie"

Ooh er, where's that come from then.

I'm a prohibitionist by the way.

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