Researchers map life expectancy in Greater Manchester at Metrolink stops

RESEARCHERS at Manchester University have created a map to display the difference in average life expectancy at each Metrolink stop on the network.

Greater Manchester is in the top 10 lowest life expectancy in the UK at 75 years old, in comparison to East Dorset which has the highest life expectancy at 83.

The ‘Devo Manc’ initiative also brings into focus the difference in average between different stops, for example between Timperley and Rochdale, there is a difference of more than a decade for men.

Timperley men live up to an average age of 78, where as in Rochdale the average life expectancy is 66.

Dr Kingsley Purdam, part of Manchester University’s Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing, said the map highlights a strong association between the economic deprivation levels of an area and life expectancy.

Rochdale Unitary Authority’s Health Profile (2015) found that the town was worse than the UK average in smoking prevalence and obesity.

Purdam said: “The routes of the tram network provide a way of engaging the public in the health story of Greater Manchester, by linking the tram stops and journey times with ward-level life expectancy estimates.

“We hope this map can highlight the issue to the public and health professionals.
“The inequalities are a real challenge for the delivery of the new devolved health budget and services in Greater Manchester.

The council recently gained control of £6bn of NHS funding which had previously been controlled by Westminster.

“The most common causes of death in the UK are from: circulatory diseases (including heart disease and strokes), cancer, respiratory diseases and dementia.
 
“Perhaps most striking is the economic gradient in the differences in life expectancy across Greater Manchester and the UK as a whole.”

While not all areas of Greater Manchester are covered by the tram network, the research aims to raise awareness and encourage conversations about people’s health in the region.

Estimates from this research were based on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data on mortality.