Today in England there is a big healthcare problem that is referred to as “the post code lottery”. This is where some areas are receiving better care than others. People from more deprived communities tend to receive much lower levels of care and have lower budgets allocated by the government. It is now apparent that on average people in these deprived communities has a much lower life expectancy than that of those in better-funded areas. These communities also have much higher rates of teenage pregnancy, alcohol related hospital visits, smoking and drug use, among other things. I would expect these factors are big contributors to the lower life expectancy. Education could be another factor as this affects future earning capabilities. This can have a nock on effect in many areas for example people with less money often eat a much poorer diet than wealthier families.

 

These infographics illustrate the shocking difference in life expectancy of U.K citizens depending on which area they are born in. Life expectancy can differ by many years in post codes just a few miles apart.