BARNSLEY residents’ healthy life expectancy - which was once the worst in the country - has made vast improvements over the last year, new figures have revealed.
Calculated using mortality data and how people report feeling about their health, healthy life expectancy estimates the average number of years someone can expect to live in good health.
Published annually, the average healthy life expectancy in Barnsley now sits at 55.3 years for women, up from 52.6 years in last year’s report, and 55.2 years for men, up from 52.9 years.
The new figures show that the town is closing the gap to the national average, reducing the difference by 3.3 years for women and 2.9 years for men.
The council has been working to improve the town’s healthy life expectancy in a number of ways.
These include placing a focus on the first 1,001 days of a child’s life, doing more for those who need it most and developing targeted approaches.
And it’s been a success to date, with the lowest levels of smoking prevalence since current records began improving figures.
Director of public health at Barnsley Council, Anna Hartley, said: ““We’re committed to taking innovative approaches to improving health and wellbeing in Barnsley, making sure our communities can access the right support at the right time and place for them.
“It’s therefore great to see Barnsley’s healthy life expectancy numbers improving, reflecting the great work that’s already helping to tackle health inequalities in our borough and make sure residents have the right building blocks to live life in good health.
“These latest figures show we’re moving in the right direction, but we want to go further.
“Guided by our Healthy Life Expectancy Strategy, we will continue to work across our services and with our partners to address the different factors impacting health in Barnsley.”
The council say that the strategy will set out ambitions to improve health outcomes for residents.
Councillor Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, added: “We want to make sure everyone in our communities can live happier, longer lives in good physical and mental health.
“We’ve always been ambitious in our plans to create a Healthy Barnsley for everyone, so it’s great to see our healthy life expectancy numbers increasing.
“This wouldn’t be possible without the fantastic local initiatives that are supporting the health and wellbeing of our communities and improving what’s possible for our residents.
“Whether we’re fostering stronger community connections through Love Where You Live or working closely with Barnsley’s brilliant health services to make sure residents have the right support, we will continue to make sure our plans are inspired by our residents.”
The town’s first healthy life expectancy strategy can be found on Barnsley Council’s website.
