Health officials are investigating a sudden fall in life expectancy amongst the elderly which is particularly stark in women. There is concern it has been triggered by declining hospital care, a lack of GP appointments and cuts to home-help. The alarm was raised by public health bosses in the North West who noted that that life expectancy aged 85 was ‘going backwards’. And the trend was particularly pronounced for elderly women where, in one local authority, it had dropped from living a further 6.8 years aged 85 in 2011 to just 6.5 years. Public Health England – the Government agency responsible for preventing early death – confirmed the fall in women’s life expectancy had occurred across the country and it was carrying out further analysis to establish the reasons.But senior doctors and MPs are worried it is the beginning of a long-term trend brought about by cuts to the NHS and social care.
The email which triggered the investigation – leaked to Health Service Journal – was sent by Dominic Harrison, Director of Public Health in Blackburn with Darwen council, to Public Health England at the end of last month.
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Filed under: Elderly, Uncategorized, life expectancy
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS 