Covid-19 Brings Down Healthy Life Expectancy In The U.K. – Forbes

Elderly hands on a mobility walker.

People born recently in England and Wales can expect to spend fewer years of their life in good health than those born over a decade ago, official figures show.

Covid-19, healthcare delays and an increase in long-term sickness are likely factors in this decline. But the Office of National Statistics figures also reflect deeper social issues like widespread inequality, say experts.

Men born in England from 2020 to 2022 can expect to spend between 62.4 years of their life in good health 9.3 months less than those born from 2011 to 2013.

Women in England can expect to live 62.7 years in good health, which is a drop of 1.5 years in just over a decade.

Wales had the lowest average HLE at 61.1 years for men and just 60.3 years for women.

Men in Northern Ireland saw their HLE increase by more than a year compared to 2011-2013, while women saw theirs fall by 15.3 months.

Women saw the biggest decrease in healthy life expectency across the U.K., with Wales, Northern Ireland and every region of England seeing a decline.

Scotland was not included in the analysis, as figures from its most recent census are not yet available.

The overall drop in HLE is likely driven in part by Covid-19, as there had been minimal change in healthy life expectancy up to 201719, according to Veena Raleigh, senior fellow at health think thank The Kings Fund.

Healthcare delays and a rise in long-term sickness after the pandemic have probably also played a role she added in a statement.

The U.K.s health care system has been struggling to catch up on surgery backlogs that grew sharply during the pandemic. Already on the rise before Covid-19, the number of patients in England waiting for an elective procedure was around 7.58 million in January.

The amount of time people can expect to live healthily differs markedly across the country, the ONS figures show.

A stark north-south divide, Raleigh said, is the product of deep-seated socio-economic inequalities between different communities.

The north of England falls behind than the south on numerous measures including wages, public investment and overall life expectancy. The divide is a frequent target for lawmakers, who have set up projects like the Northern Powerhouse to invest in the region.

The impact of initiatives like these have long come under question, with substantial divisions still clear across the country.

The new HLE statistics lay bare the wide geographical inequalities in England, with healthy life expectancy in the north east being almost seven years shorter for males and six years shorter for females compared with the south east, Raleigh said.

The state of child and adult health in England is poor and declining, she added, which has a devastating impact on individuals, families and communities, and results in significant costs to society and the economy.

Bolder action was needed to help people live longer and healthier lives, she said. And this should be seen by the government as a sound investment and urgent priority, not just as another demand on the public exchequer.

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Covid-19 Brings Down Healthy Life Expectancy In The U.K. - Forbes