Revealed: How where you live affects your life expectancy
A MAP published for the first time today reveals the life expectancy lottery across different neighbourhoods of Inverness.
It depicts a mosaic of startling differences with residents in some of the poorest areas expected to die up to 14 years younger than people living in wealthier neighbourhoods just a few miles away.
The full findings are revealed as concerned health and council officials draw up new policies to tackle widening health inequalities between the city's richest and poorest areas following in-depth work over the past year.
But it will take at least 20 years to close the gaps, according to NHS Highland's director of public health, Dr Margaret Somerville.
"These inequalities have existed for a long time," she said, citing a range of factors including housing, education, employment and income plus alcohol and drug abuse and smoking.
"Despite all the work we have been doing in general health improvement, our most disadvantaged communities have not been improving at the same rate as everyone else – the gap between the best and worst has been widening. We are not going to turn it around in a year or two."
The starkest contrast is that between Merkinch, where a man's life expectancy is 66, and Lochardil and Holm Mains where a man can expect to live to 80 years. The picture for women is only slightly better – a woman in Merkinch can expect to live to 75 whereas in Lochardil it rises to 85. The district of Muirtown, on the city's western edge, fares little better with an average male life expectancy of 67 years while in Hilton, Ballifeary and Dalneigh, men can expect to live to 71.
The map also throws up marked anomalies between the genders. In Drummond, for instance, women live on average nine years longer than men.
Merkinch community activist Peter Corbett is not surprised by the findings. "Lochardil doesn't have homeless accommodation – most people in homeless accommodation are unemployed or have some health issues," he said.
He also believes it was a mistake to close the Janny's Hoose healthy living centre in Merkinch four years ago due to funding cuts. The pioneering project in the grounds of Merkinch Primary School offered a range of services including parent and toddler groups, healthy eating classes, smoking cessation advice and oral health sessions.
Anne Sutherland, Merkinch Partnership officer, cites unemployment as a major factor for the area's poor health record.
"My personal belief is you should try to get people into work," she said.
"It will have a positive impact on life and health and build self-esteem. If people have self-esteem they will look after themselves. The worst thing is people being allowed to sit on benefits for years and years."
However, Michael Gimson, the 73-year-old chairman of Lochardil and Drummond Community Council, is "baffled" by the variances.
He points out that his area does not have a doctor's surgery or, a pharmacy and there are few recreational facilities.
"People here maybe take more care of themselves," he suggested. "Also, the way of life 40 or 50 years ago perhaps dictated longevity – maybe folk in places such as Merkinch have had a harder life."
There was also surprise at Hilton. Community centre chairman Maureen Ross could not think of any underlying conditions for the area's lower life expectancy rates and pointed out the centre offered a range of activities for all ages, from football to tai chi, plus healthy eating options in the cafe.
"As a community centre, we are offering people in Hilton and the surrounding area activities to prolong their life expectancy," she said.
Detailed proposals to spend £2 million to help bridge the gap, including targeting those struggling with deprivation, will be discussed by Highland Council on 13th December. Suggestions include employing community development officers but director of social work , Bill Alexanderr, said the details were still being worked out.
* Buy today's Inverness Courier to read more about the scale of the task to close the health gaps across the city.
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Click the link below to view the map in greater detail.
