The north-south health divide is at its widest for 40 years, say researchers at Manchester University.
Thousands of people a year from the north are dying earlier than they would have if they lived in the south of England, they say.
People living in Greater Manchester are a fifth more likely to die before they reach 75 than those living in London suburbs.
And, the researchers warn, despite a £20bn project to tackle the split, the problem is getting worse. They are now calling for action to close the divide, which they say has led to 1.5m extra deaths in the north since 1965.
The researchers also say the recession will hit northern cities hardest – unless the government focuses its efforts on creating new jobs and wealth in the north west and north east.
Comment: More inequality looms as cuts bite
They are calling for more money to be ploughed into education, better transport links and housing – and a greater share of NHS cash to enable cities like Manchester to pay their own way.
Prof Iain Buchan from the University of Manchester said: "These findings point towards a severe, long-term and recently worsening structural health problem in the geography of England...which has been resistant to specific policies to reduce inequalities in health or regenerate local communities.
"Stimulating businesses and wealth creation is the key to tackling the divide, making real change goes beyond the scope of the NHS – we need to look at employment, housing and education. Currently, poor health means raising the retirement age to 68 is an unachievable target in the north – we do not have the healthy workforce to do that."
Research shows three-quarters of the population in the north suffer a disability of some form before they reach 68. That means they cost the NHS more, claim state benefits, and the country loses their productivity.
Prof Buchan says moving resources from the south to the north would leave people in the south better off financially in the long term as they would not have to pick up the sick bill for the north.
Since the 1960s, premature deaths have reduced by about half for men and 40 per cent for women across the whole country. And the north-south health gap is slightly worse for men than women. Levels of smoking are higher in the north and seen as the biggest single factor causing a health divide. But according to the research, this only accounts for 14 per cent of the difference in death rates.
Tim Doran, clinical research fellow at the University of Manchester said: "Since 1965, the toll of excess deaths has surpassed 1.5m —the north is being decimated at the rate of a major city every decade
"Analysis of the impact of the current recession shows that deprived communities in the northern city regions have borne the brunt.
"Government spending cuts will also hit hardest in the north, which will sustain greater proportional job losses in the public and private sectors and has a greater reliance on welfare benefits and public services that are being cut.
"This increasingly intractable problem can only be solved by renewed regional development policies, which have repeatedly been stressed in the past but are insufficiently implemented."
Comment: More inequality looms as cuts bite
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
95% of the top jobs are in the South East - incomes are higher and unemployment much lower, out of the centre deprivation is almost unheard of. This is a structural problem, and produces many symptoms, of which this is one. Treating the symptom will never cure it, it is money wasted, better still to attempt to force companies out of the South East for a fairer spread of jobs and other income.
Companies like Lever Brothers have manufacturing on the Wirral, but their head office - directors & marketing is in London, there is no good reason why that cannot be on the Wirral.
One way to influence the problem would be to triple uniform business rates in the centre and double them inside the M25. Corporation tax could also be increased similarly. It's never going to happen though because politicians haven't the stomach for it, they'll throw money away on meaningless gestures to appear like they care, but in the end it is futile.
Seriously?
Who would even investigate this!!! Seems like a load of bull to me.
We need to cut back on the lard sandwiches.
My cousin in Devon who is from Manchester says that the habit of drinking and smoking too much is widely regarded as a northern thing down there. Now those pastimes take money, as well as a toll on your health. I think many people up here still live their lives as if they are working down t'mill. In other words it's attitude and tradition.
Widest "now" after 13 years of a New Labour government, don't forget!!
"People living in Greater Manchester are a fifth more likely to die before they reach 75 than those living in London suburbs"
Would it not have made sense to compare either all of GM with all of London, or London suburbs with northern suburban areas?
we are always going to have a north-south divide until parliament is closer to the centre of the UK. There is no reason why parliament has to be in a capital city. But if parliament moved, politicians would have a problem with gaining their high paid second jobs which could be the reason they wont consider it.
perhaps less time spent sitting on the couch drinking and smoking would also improve peoples health get real !!
Its about money. People in Alderly Edge live about 17 years longer than people in Crewe