'Shocking gap' in healthy life expectancy across Shipley constituency

The House of Commons heard there is a 10-year gap in healthy life expectancy between people living in Windhill and those about eight miles away in Wharfedale.

Shipley MP Anna Dixon, who won the Shipley seat for Labour at the last election, told the House: "I came into politics because of a desire to reverse growing inequalities in health and disability.

"In my constituency of Shipley, there is a 10-year gap in healthy life expectancy between those living in Wharfedale and their neighbours over the moor in Windhill."

Speaking during a debate entitled 'NHS Performance: Darzi Investigation', Ms Dixon added: "While lots needs to be done to tackle poor housing and poverty, there are things that the NHS can do. Does my hon. Friend agree that the NHS plan must prioritise prevention, as well as just treating sickness?"

The Windhill area of Shipley (Image: Google Street View) After the debate, Ms Dixon told the Telegraph & Argus: “It is shocking that the gap in healthy life expectancy between one part of Shipley constituency and another is ten years. This reflects the national pattern, which has seen the healthy life expectancy fall for both women and men across Yorkshire, and particularly for the poorest women.

“Fourteen years of Conservative cuts to public services, austerity, and insecure work are significant factors. In addition, issues such as damp homes, air pollution and higher rates of smoking and obesity all contribute to this.

“That is why, last week, the Labour government introduced the Employment Rights Bill. We are also committed to boosting investment in home insulation, and our healthcare plans have put a focus on prevention as well as treatment. 

"As MP for Shipley constituency I want to tackle health inequalities both close to home and nationally.”

A rural walk in the Burley in Wharfedale area (Image: Nick Bamford: T&A Camera Club)

In the same Commons debate about Lord Darzi’s NHS investigation, the Conservative shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins urged Wes Streeting to “transition quickly from opposing to governing”.

Mr Streeting, the Health Secretary, had earlier warned the NHS is on course for “ruin”.

Lord Darzi's NHS review, published in September, made 28 findings, including that “it has taken more than a decade for the NHS to fall into disrepair” and that management structures are “still reeling from a turbulent decade”.

The shadow health secretary suggested Mr Streeting could have made a “meaningful contribution” to healthcare by setting out how Labour would meet its “first steps” promise to put on 40,000 extra NHS appointments each week.

She added: “(Lord Darzi’s report) looks backwards but not far enough to mark the last Labour government’s policy and operational failures, because if this Government is serious about reforming the NHS – and I genuinely hope it is – then it and the Secretary of State need to transition quickly from opposing to governing.

“And this must begin… with the language he is choosing to use about the NHS.”

Ms Atkins continued: “Health leaders are raising concerns that his broken narrative is damaging public confidence and will lead to people not coming forward for care… and it is hurting the morale of staff who are working tirelessly for their patients.

“Just as the confected doom and gloom of the new Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) is damaging business confidence, so too does the Health Secretary’s relentlessly negative language risk consequences in real life.”