Living well in Staffordshire

Key Issues: Wider determinants; Excess weight; Mental health; Alcohol misuse.

Across the life course there are factors which influence health and wellbeing of people and the need for services. Some of these are personal modifiable risk factors such as smoking, alcohol, obesity, exercise and a healthy diet. Others are wider determinants, including access to employment.

Key headlines:

Reducing healthy life expectancy for men & women - “Long COVID” may contribute to more time spent in ill health.
Higher than average employment and one of the lowest unemployment rates (3.6%). Residents also reported the local economy a key concern for how Staffordshire recovers.
Two thirds of adults are overweight or obese - higher than national and the third highest among similar local authorities. High prevalence of obesity related conditions and hospital admissions on an upward trend. Diabetes levels are also higher than national and increasing.
Mental health (adults) remains a challenge - high and increasing levels of GP recorded depression, but lower levels of GP recorded severe mental illness. Latest data also shows an increase in the rate of suicides (2018-20 – 12.2 per 100,000).
In a local survey residents reported changes to their mental health and wellbeing; feelings of isolation, depression, loneliness & anxiety.
Higher than average alcohol consumption and highest alcohol related admissions rate amongst similar authorities and rising; in contrast to a reducing national trend.

Data update

The vision in Staffordshire is to enable all of the people to live happy and healthy lives. This section provides data relating tao working age adults on topics such as mental health and employment. Some of the significant challenges facing Staffordshire relate to mitigating obesity related hospital admissions, reducing alcohol related hospital admissions, and tackling poor mental health outcomes for working-aged people.

Alcohol and drugs

In Staffordshire, 27.4% of adults drink more than the recommended 14 units of alcohol a week, higher than national of 22.8% (Health Survey for England).
The percentage binge drinking on their heaviest drinking day is 22.4%, higher than national (15.4%) and the highest of similar authorities (Health Survey for England).
Nationally consumption is known to be highest among males, the highest incomes and the 55-64 age group.
Following on from higher than average alcohol consumption in Staffordshire, alcohol hospital admissions in adults remains a key issue. Staffordshire has the highest rate of all its statistical neighbours and higher than England.
In Staffordshire there were 6,200 alcohol related adult admissions during 2019/20, with rates increasing.
Nearly all (7) of Staffordshire’s districts have rates higher than the national average.

Alcohol treatment and mortality

Successful completion of alcohol treatment is used as the key proxy measure of recovery, with improvements seen in Staffordshire - 42% of alcohol users successfully completed treatment, above national and represents an improved picture from 2018 (34%).
Despite rising hospital admissions in Staffordshire, alcohol related mortality remains stable at 47 per 100,000 and is similar to national.
There were nearly 300 alcohol specific deaths recorded in Staffordshire (2017-19). The male rate is decreasing and is now lower than national, however in contrast the female rate remains higher than national.
In addition, there were around 350 alcohol related deaths in Staffordshire (2019), with rates similar to national. Rates among males are twice as high as females.
Rates of alcohol related mortality are highest in East Staffordshire and alcohol specific mortality highest in Newcastle.

Drug treatment and mortality

It is estimated (2017) that there are approximately 3,850 opiate and/or crack adult users in Staffordshire.
There were 1,550 opiate users and 200 non-opiate adult users in treatment in 2020/21.
Planned exits from treatment remained at about half of all clients exiting treatment during 2019/20 and 2020/21 – similar to national.
In Staffordshire, there are on average 55 deaths per year related to drug poisoning. In line with national trends, the rate of mortality (6.7 per 100,000) has increased locally and remains similar to national.
The highest mortality rate was in Cannock Chase with 10.9 per 100,000 (about 10 deaths per year).

Employment and income

Income is often linked to life expectancy and good or poor health outcomes, and more recently COVID-19 has presented a significant risk to the economy.

80% of Staffordshire residents stating this as their top concern, and more younger people are reportedly concerned about their employment and financial situation. (Staffordshire COVID-19 Resident Survey).
In Staffordshire, there is higher than average employment (77%) and despite COVID-19 the unemployment rate (3.6%) as at September 2021 remains well below national and regional levels.
Whilst average annual earnings are lower than national, they have been some improvement, increasing by 2% since last year. However, there are still more Staffordshire residents in lower paid, manual & routine jobs compared to national. Lowest income levels are in East Staffordshire and Tamworth; some of the areas that also experience health issues such as lower life expectancy and higher rates of mental health emergency admissions.
In Staffordshire the number eligible for Free School Meals is rising, suggesting more children are living in poorer households - 16% or 19,150 pupils for the 2020/21 year, compared with 12.7% in January 2020.

Excess weight exercise and diet

Two thirds of adults have excess weight - higher than national and the third highest among similar authorities (increasing from ninth highest in the previous year).
District focus for adults varies to that for C&YP – levels higher than average in Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands and Tamworth.
Obesity related hospital admissions are also higher than national and on an upward trend (from 563 in 2013/14 to 2,886 per 100,000 in 2019/20).
All Staffordshire CCGs have rates higher than national and East Staffs CCG has the highest rate of admissions in the country.
More recent unpublished data shows that Staffordshire obesity related hospital admissions fell during 2020/21 to 1,994 per 100,000. This mirrored a general fall in hospital admissions due to Covid-19 and Staffordshire remains higher than national.

Healthy lifestyles - physical inactivity and diet

Whilst two thirds of Staffordshire adults are physically active (similar to national), around 1 in 4 adults are physically inactive – fourth highest among similar authorities but similar to national.
Newcastle-under-Lyme has a higher than average proportion of inactive adults (27%, 2019/20), and also experiences high levels of diabetes and coronary heart disease.
When compared to national, Staffordshire also has a lower proportion of adults walking (16%) and cycling (1%) - 2018/19.
Changes to healthy lifestyles were observed during the first part of the pandemic, with increases in exercise reported by some (31%), balanced against decreases amongst others (29%). The same is true for healthy eating. (Staffordshire COVID-19 Resident Survey)
A lower than average proportion of adults eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day (53% and 2nd worst of our similar authorities). This ranges from 58% in Staffordshire Moorlands to 45% in Cannock Chase.
Whilst the density of fast food outlets (2017) in Staffordshire is similar to national, there are high concentrations in town centres and areas of deprivation - Cannock Chase and East Staffordshire have a higher than average density.

Life expectancy and long term illness

Healthy life expectancy is a good measure of the quality of life years in a population.

Life expectancy is over 79 years for men and over 83 years for women - both similar to national.
After remaining consistent for male and marginally increasing for women in recent years, life expectancy has now fallen slightly for both.
Compared with national, life expectancy is higher than national for women in both South Staffordshire and Stafford, but is now lower for Newcastle-under-Lyme. Male life expectancy is lower for Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Healthy life expectancy

Healthy life expectancy in Staffordshire is nearly 62 years for men and 64 years for women – both have fallen by 1.8 years and 1.1 years respectively.
Male healthy life expectancy is the third worst among similar authorities.
On average in Staffordshire women spend 19.7 years of lives in poor health, and men spend just over 18 years in poor health.
Symptoms from “long COVID”, which persist weeks or months after the infection has gone may impact healthy life expectancy and result in more time spent in ill-health.

Limiting long-term illness

Almost 1 in 4 (22%) adults have a limiting long-term illness, as well as over half (53%) of older people – statistically higher than national.
Half of Staffordshire’s wards have a higher-than-average proportion of all adults living with a limiting long-term illness, and around a third for older people.
This ranges from 11% in Hawks Green (Cannock Chase) to 32% in Biddulph South (Staffordshire Moorlands).

Long term conditions

Lifestyle challenges are often a key risk factor for wider health conditions which lead to increased pressure on the system.

Prevalence of conditions such as Hypertension, Asthma, Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke in Staffordshire all remain higher than national.
Staffordshire residents have a higher than average (22%) self reported Musculoskeletal condition. Staffordshire districts make up five of the six highest authorities.
GP registered Diabetes (Type 1 and 2) is higher than national and increasing faster than England. Recorded prevalence of diabetes is higher across all districts except Stafford.

Mental health in adults

In Staffordshire there were 1 in 3 (33%) emergency hospital admissions for adults with a mental health diagnosis in 2020/21 – lower than national. East Staffordshire and Tamworth have the highest admission rates & statistically higher than national. Tamworth also having higher than average GP recorded depression.
Staffordshire also has the 5th highest rate among similar authorities for emergency admissions for intentional self-harm (all ages). Newcastle, Stafford and Cannock Chase among the highest in the West Midlands.
More recent unpublished data (2020/21) sees a general fall in admissions due to COVID-19 with rates similar to national, however Stafford and Tamworth remain high.
There are nearly 95 suicides in Staffordshire each year, with rates of suicide rising to 12.2 per 100,000 (2018-20) and higher than national (10.4 per 100,000).
Three quarters of deaths from suicides in Staffordshire are males, yet the suicide rate in females is increasing and higher than national.
Those aged 30-59 are overrepresented in suicides, with 57% of suicides coming from 44% of the Staffordshire population.

GP recorded depression

GP recorded depression (12%) in Staffordshire adults continues to increase – a trend that has doubled since 2012/13 and is higher than national.
Positively there are lower levels of GP recorded severe mental illness.
Over half of Staffordshire’s districts have higher than average GP recorded depression - Stafford, Staffordshire Moorlands, Tamworth, Cannock Chase and Newcastle.

Staffordshire as a place to live

Contents