Lambeth Town Hall (Stock image)
(Picture: PA Wire)The average life expectancy for men and women living in Lambeth has dropped to its lowest level in a decade, according to new figures.
Male life expectancy saw a “concerning” fall from 80 years in 2019 to 77 years in 2020 while female life expectancy dropped from 85 years to 83 years in the same period, data showed.
The gap in life expectancy between men and women in the borough stands at 5.3 years, higher than the London average of 4.1 years.
The figures, published by Lambeth Council as part of their Health Profile, also show that the number of male residents living “in poor health” is up by a third from 2011 to 2020.
HIV testing coverage fell by 17 per cent from 2019 to 2020, despite the borough having the highest detection rate for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the capital.
Lambeth also has the second lowest rate of antibiotic prescriptions in London, while the flu vaccination rate is nearly 16 per cent below the national level.
The impact of Covid on the overall health profile of the borough is not entirely clear as it does not include data on 2021 or 2022 – the two years of the pandemic which saw London’s highest number of infections and hospitalisations.
Donna Harris, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Lambeth, has called for the Council to introduce blood pressure and diabetes checks at food banks and hubs to address the borough’s health issues.
“It’s very concerning that there’s been a drop in life expectancy in Lambeth for both men and women over recent years,” she said.
“Lambeth Council needs to take urgent action to reach out to communities that aren’t accessing health checks via their GP. I welcome that my suggestion for these checks to be made available in local food banks and hubs will be considered.
“We also need to address the health inequalities women experience through menopause by improving screening for symptoms, treatment and mental health support.”
