Statistical Press Notice: Health Profile of England 2009

The 2009 report updates tables that show regional, national, and international indicators of health and health determinants. The Health Profile of England illustrates progress in respect of a broad range of measures of health determinants and outcomes. It represents a component of the national public health information and intelligence strategy, drawing together a range of evidence to provide a convenient source of public health metrics

The Health Profile of England is intended to be of use to public service professionals and officials within the local community - such as local councillors and primary care trust directors of public health - who are in a position to exert influence over the planning, commissioning, procurement and delivery of public health programmes. This document will also be of interest to a much wider audience - anyone with an interest in the profile of health and health determinants in this country.

What the Health Profile of England 2009 shows:

►      An improvement in health outcomes

The report shows recent improvements in a number of critical areas, eg:

·      declining mortality rates in targeted killers (cancers, all circulatory diseases and suicides)

·      increasing life expectancy, now at its highest ever level

·      further reductions in infant and perinatal mortality

·      recent reductions in new diagnoses of gonorrhoea

However in some areas particular challenges remain to achieve and sustain progress, eg:

·      rising rates of diabetes

·      rising alcohol related hospital admissions and alcohol related deaths

Similarly for the determinants of health, we are making improvements in some important areas:

·      the percentage of people who smoke

·      quality of housing stock

·      the proportion of school aged children completing at least two hours of PE and school sport a week

However, even where we are seeing improvements, health inequalities are often present

·      The report illustrates various geographical inequalities across England

►      International comparisons give a wider context presenting national progress in comparison to countries of the European Union (EU), or to the 15 countries that were members of the EU prior to 2004 (EU-15), eg:

·      Premature mortality rates from the two biggest killers, circulatory diseases and cancer are reducing faster in England than the average for the EU for both males and females

·      Death rates for chronic liver disease and cirrhosis have risen markedly in a handful of countries, particularly in recent years. For both males and females latest data show that mortality rates in England have risen above the EU-15 average

·      The percentage of all live births to mothers under age 20 in the United Kingdom remains the highest when compared to other EU-15 countries.

This document will be available at the following web link:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/DH_114561