Stockport has changed significantly over the past decade and has become much more diverse, not only in terms of the ethnic mix of our local communities, but also in terms of the age of our population, the number of people with disabilities and life-affecting illnesses, a more visual presence of communities of different sexualities, more people taking on caring responsibilities, and a change in the religious make-up of our borough. NHS Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group too needs to change, to ensure that our services meet the needs of the individuals and communities we serve.
In general terms, Stockport is one of the healthier places in the North West. There are, however, significant challenges still to be faced in relation to the health of the population of Stockport. In particular, issues regarding the ageing population and pockets of severe deprivation lead to substantial inequalities in health within the borough. Although the overall picture is quite good, there are some areas where rates of illness are significantly higher than the national average. Taking action to cut these inequalities is one of the most important ways to improve the health of all of the population of Stockport.
The ‘Stockport Story’ in recent years is one of changing communities, increased diversity, and growing health inequalities, matched by growing needs and demands for a more responsive and personalised health system.
Stockport has a population of around 292,000 residents. Figures for 2006-2008 show that the average life expectancy is currently 77.9 years for men and 82.5 years for women, which is higher than both the regional and national average.
Like other parts of the UK Stockport is aging, partly due to larger age cohorts reaching 65, but also through better life expectancy. In the next five years there will be an additional 2,700 people aged 65 and over.
The overall aging population is masking an increasing birth rate and changes to family structures that reflect patterns of disadvantage. Teenage conception rates are 3 times greater in the most deprived wards compared to the Stockport average.
When compared to the national average, Stockport is not as ethnically diverse. In 2001 4.3% of the population were from non-white ancestry compared to 8.7% nationally. Local evidence, although not comprehensive, suggests that BME populations have increased recently to around 6.2%; with particular increases in residents from Pakistan, Iran and Poland.
In recent years, the numbers of residents, particularly children, with English as a second language has risen significantly. After English, the most common languages spoken are Arabic, Farsi, Chinese, Bengali, Urdu & Polish.
Carers in Stockport are a key resource and as the population ages there will be additional impact on carers. The 2001 census identified 30,200 unpaid carers in Stockport, 5,600 of whom were aged 65+. A third of these older carers were providing more than 50 hours of care per week. By 2011 there will be an additional 1,000 unpaid carers in Stockport and this increase will be almost entirely in the 65+ age group.
A significant proportion of residents of working age within the Stockport area are affected by disability (17.7%), which is slightly lower than the national average of 18.2%. Figures are predicted to rise as the population ages.
There are 4,309 wheelchair users in Stockport and the number is rising. In 2008-09 we supplied 939 new patients with wheelchairs.
Stockport has a higher than average percentage of residents from religious groups, whose beliefs and practices should be understood and respected. The majority of Stockport residents are Christian (75%); 14.2% have no stated religion; 1.7% are Muslim; 0.6% are Jewish; 0.5% are Hindu.
There is no local data on the size of our LGBT community, but the Government estimates around 6% of the UK identifies as lesbian, bisexual or gay. This equates to around 17,000 people in Stockport.
Health Inequalities
Within Stockport there are stark differences between the most and least disadvantaged communities. In terms of deprivation Stockport is the 3rd most polarised district in England and Wales. The latest data shows the inequality gap in life expectancy is 11.4 years for men and 8.9 years for women.
But where you live and how much money you or your family earn are not the only determinants of health outcomes. Statistics show that people from different communities can have vastly different diets, fitness levels, genetic predispositions for certain illnesses, personal habits, and healthcare access.
Little data currently exists on the local situation for Equality Groups in Stockport. However, national trends suggest the following:
Chronic Disease
- Men born in South Asian countries but living in the UK are 50% more likely to have a heart attack or angina than the UK average
- Black adults living in the UK but born in the Caribbean are 50% more likely to die from a stroke related incident that the UK average
- The average UK diabetes rate for men is 4% and 3% for women. But in our Indian populations this more than doubles to men 10% and women 6%
- Men (65%) are significantly more likely than women (56%) to be overweight or obese, yet only 26% of people attending weight loss programmes are men
- Men are more likely than women to smoke (19% compared to 15%) but less likely to take part in stop smoking programmes
- 53% of Gay men and 56% of Lesbian women smoke
Cancer
- 64% of lesbians and as few as 3% of women with learning disabilities in family care (17% of those in formal care) have had a smear in the past 3 years compared to 80% of all women nationally
- Uptake for breast screening is 76% for all women in the UK, but as low as 17% for women with learning disabilities in family care (52% for those in formal care)
- Women are more likely to get skin cancer, but men are more likely to die of skin cancer
- 43% of BME women don’t practice breast awareness
- 45% of BME women over 50 have never been screened for breast cancer
- Black men in England are 3 times more likely to develop prostate cancer than white men
Mental Health
- Men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women
- People from black and ethnic minority populations are more likely to suffer from schizophrenia and less likely to access talking therapies
- The rate of depression is 60% higher in BME groups
- Young Asian women and twice as likely to commit suicide as young white women
- 42% of gay men, 43% of lesbians and 49% of bisexual men and women have clinically recognised mental health problems compared with 12% and 20% for predominantly heterosexual men and women
Patient Experience
- More than 30% of trans people living in the UK report having experienced discrimination from professionals when accessing health care services
- 42% of disabled people say they’ve had difficulty accessing health care services because of their disability
- Men under 45 are half as likely to visit their GP as women
- 55% of gay men and 50% of lesbians are scared to come out to their GPs due to fear of homophobia or confidentiality issues
- A significant number of older people report heath issues being dismissed as ‘just their age’
