Plan to cut 14-year city lifespan gap

Across the city there is a 14-year gap in life expectancy between the wealthiest and poorest people.

In the affluent south-west of the city, Ecclesall residents live the longest - until the age of 86 on average.

But in deprived areas residents suffer more cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

And at just 72 years, people on the Flower estate in the north of the city, close to Wincobank, have the lowest average life expectancy.

Now to tackle the divide, Sheffield Primary Care Trust has developed a five-year plan which aims to save as many as 400 lives by 2012 from illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

What do you think?Post your comments below.

By redesigning health services, the plan is to encourage more people in deprived areas to use existing services and come forward for health checks so problems are spotted early and advice and treatment is offered.

Chief executive Jan Sobieraj said: "It is unacceptable that our city has a 14-year gap in life expectancy between the least well off parts of the city and its wealthiest parts.

"With this strategy we are clearly setting out how we intend to improve health services across the city in the near future and we are being very ambitious.

"Our collective goal is to make Sheffield the healthiest city in England in which to live and make Sheffield PCT one of the most successful PCTs in the country."

Mr Sobieraj said the plan was not to shift resources from affluent to less well-off areas, but to make improvements right across the city.

The Trust is already developing more community-based services such as a new diabetes service in Parson Cross to make care more accessible to patients.

Benefits of the plan include reducing the length stay for people needing to go into hospital, lowering waiting times and increasing life expectancy.

Priorities to be tackled include tackling cancer, heart disease, diabetes and strokes, mental health, alcohol problems, children and young people's services.