Northerners 'die earlier'

Death rates worse in the north

People living in Wales and northern England are likely to die before those in the south, figures show.

A study carried out by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) found people living in Wales and the north and north-west of England had significantly higher mortality rates than southerners.

The variations in life expectancy were not affected by wealth. According to researchers, every social group in the north of England has higher death rates than those in the south.

And the differences cannot be blamed on higher rates of disadvantage in the north.

Alison Reid, who carried out the study, said: "Although long term disadvantage is greater in the north, that doesn't explain the north-south divide in health.

"Every group in the north has higher death rates than every group in the south."

Researchers are unable to explain the reasons for the divide. They speculated that differences in lifestyles, work and even water hardness and weather could be factors.

Life expectancy

Another ONS study reported an increase in life expectancy rates over the past 20 years.

Between 1981 and 1995, life expectancy for 65-year-olds went up from 13 years to 14.7 years for men and from 16.9 years to 18.3 years for women.

But the ONS has warned that the increase could have "serious implications" for the NHS.

The figures show that while people are living longer they are also spending more time in hospital.

The ONS stated: "Elderly patients use up a large proportion of resources and the prospect that elderly people will be sicker for longer is worrying to health planners."

The figures also showed cancer survival rates were improving. In the late 1980s, a man diagnosed with prostate cancer had just over a 40% chance of surviving. By the early 1990s, this had increased to almost 50%.

Similarly, breast cancer survival rates increased from 68% in the 1980s to 74% in the early 1990s.

Cancer remains the biggest killer in England and Wales, accounting for a quarter of all deaths. Heart disease and respiratory illnesses result in almost 40 % of deaths, while one-in-10 people die from brain diseases.