Richmond residents live longer (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

Richmond residents live longer

December 19, 2008 8:42 PM

long life • A RECENT study shows that residents of the borough are healthier and live longer than almost anywhere else in the country.

Cllr Denise Carr, Cabinet Member for Adult Services, Health and Housing on Richmond Council, said: "The study confirms what we already know - that Richmond upon Thames is one of the best places to live in the country. However, welcome as this news is we must not be complacent. There are still those in our community who are vulnerable and who do not enjoy the best of health and the current recession is making things even harder. The study is a vital source to understanding the health needs of residents and it will form the basis of how we develop future services."

Entitled the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA), it is the first ever comprehensive assessment of the local population carried out by the Council and local PCT. Key findings include; residents take more exercise, eat more healthily, and drink and smoke less than the national average. The prevalence of major diseases, such as cancer, is low and the borough has the lowest level of childhood obesity in the country. Residents also benefit from access to quality open spaces and there is a high average life expectancy of 79.4 years for men and 83.1 years for women [The life expectancy in the UK is 77.2 for men and 81.5 for females.

]. Indicators for children and young people also show that they are amongst the healthiest nationally. However, there are health and social inequalities between different areas of the borough and between poor and wealthy residents and despite the positive health indicators, there is still scope for improvements.

Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats: