Equally Well strategy

After decades of progress, since 2011 the improvement in age-standardised mortality rates and life expectancy has slowed down considerably, for both males and females across England. The gap in life expectancy between the most and least deprived areas has recently widened since the period 2010 to 2012; and the improvement in life expectancy has been slower in more deprived areas than less deprived areas.

However, health is not just about the length of life we live, but also the quality of life and there remains a glaring gap in the years lived in good health across our communities.

While North Tyneside is a thriving Borough to live, work and visit, with many community assets, cultural attractions, high performing schools, businesses, services and a vibrant VCSE, persistent inequalities exist across the Borough and we have not escaped the slowing of progress in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy witnessed across England.

Men and women from the most deprived areas live shorter lives compared to residents from our least deprived areas – men live 11.7 years less and women 10.6 years less.

Data for 2017-2019 shows the health inequality gap has widened by 1.1 years for men and by 1.3 years for women, since data started to be collected in 2010-2012. Men and women in our most deprived areas on average spend 14.5 less years in good health compared their counterparts in our least deprived communities.

These inequalities that were already in existence across North Tyneside in early 2020 have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic

The infographics and data in this strategy provides a high-level summary of inequalities across North Tyneside. Our recent report on ‘The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and socio-economic inequalities’ clearly demonstrated that residents living in the Borough who are least able to deal with the impact of the pandemic have been hit the hardest by both direct and indirect impacts, including:

• Higher mortality in the older population from COVID-19, especially care home residents
• NHS waiting times – nationally treatment decreased more in the most deprived areas. Screening programmes were impacted and cancer screening had lower coverage in more deprived areas
• Social isolation and loneliness increased, particularly in groups of people already prone to isolation and loneliness, such as older residents
• Domestic abuse reporting increased
• Contacts and referrals to Children’s Social Care increased during the pandemic. As did the number of Children in Need and the number of children on Child Protection Plans
• Employment – inequalities resulted in furlough and unemployment, caring responsibilities
• Food poverty – worsened during the pandemic and increased more in more deprived parts of the Borough • Child poverty, which has increased over the last five years, worsened further
• The number of families experiencing Food Poverty and Food Insecurity increased
• Unemployment was higher in females on lower wages
• Educational disruption impacted, with the attainment gap likely to have widened in more socio-economically deprived areas
• Some children experienced digital exclusion when schools went to remote learning during the pandemic, as they were unable to access learning because families did not have laptops or internet access
• Similarly, some adults were also excluded from accessing services that moved online and were more at risk of social isolation

Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has been an enormous challenge to communities, business, public services and our voluntary sector, it has also resulted in welcome innovation in how organisations have supported each other, delivered services and engaged with residents and communities.

We want to harness this energy and enable the partnerships to flourish with a focus on narrowing the gap in North Tyneside and provide equal life chances for all.