Life expectancy gap between rich and poor ‘widening’, says report

People in poorer areas of England will live for around two years less than the rest of the population, according to a new report.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said the gap between the average life expectancy and that among the poorest in England is widening, growing by seven per cent for men and 14 per cent for women between 1995 and 2007.

It concluded that the Department of Health will therefore be unable to meet its target to reduce the health inequalities gap by ten per cent by 2010 at the current rate, despite efforts to curb smoking and prescribe more cholesterol and blood pressure control drugs.

Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said the lack of progress may be due to a delay in taking action, as health inequalities were not rated as a top NHS priority until 2006.

He added: “The best cost-effective interventions have been identified and now must be employed on a larger scale in order to have a greater impact and improve value for money.”