156 women a year die of preventable causes in Plymouth

But women outlive men

Thirteen women under the age of 75 in Plymouth are dying each month from causes that are considered preventable, according to a new public health report.

Stark figures also reveal that the health of women in the city starts to decline after the age of 55, which is nearly six years below the national average.

Presenting his first annual report to Plymouth City Council’s cabinet, director of public health for the city Professor Steve Maddern issued a call for action to improve the health and wellbeing of women, who he said often put themselves last when it came to juggling care responsibilities and personal health.

Despite living longer than men, with an average life expectancy 82.4 years, women in Plymouth spent only 67 per cent of their lives in ‘good health’ compared to 74.5 per cent nationally, he said.

The top three causes of death amongst women are cancer, dementia and chronic lower respiratory disease but in 2023 some 157 Plymouth women under 75 died from causes considered preventable, which equates to 13 each month.

High blood pressure, smoking and high fasting plasma glucose or hyperglycemia are the top three risk factors making the largest contributions to deaths in Plymouth women.

One in four women are considered disabled under the Equality Act, which again is significantly higher than the national average. The top three causes of years lived with disability are lower back pain, major depression and migraine.

The report said that there were more women not in work than men in the city and 36,000 Plymouth women are likely to be subjected to at least one form of harassment in a year.

Professor Maddern said he had chosen to focus entirely on women’s health in Plymouth for his annual report because of the shocking statistics.

““This is a call to action for the city – there is a huge amount of work to be done to improve access to women’s healthcare and to make Plymouth a safer place for women and girls, where they are supported to live healthy, safe and fulfilling lives.”

A lower-than-average uptake of key preventative healthcare measures such as the HPV vaccination raised concerns about cancer protection.

The lived experiences of 27 women in the city were used to help compile the report.

Prof Maddern said women faced barriers to basic healthcare and felt “unheard, unseen and unsupported” .

They experienced long waiting times for gynaecological treatment, limited menopausal support and difficulty getting GP appointments, he said.

Girls reported high levels of anxiety, body dissatisfaction and a lack of control over their health.

Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) remained a national priority and the impact of this on mental and physical health was “profound”, said the director of public health.

He said trauma informed services needed to be strengthened and better access to screening, contraception and menopause support as well as support in education and employment.

In addition safer public spaces needed to be create and online safety improved.

Cllr Sue Dann (Lab, Sutton and Mount Gould), cabinet member for customer service, sport, leisure and human resources said some good work had been done already by the council working with organisations and employers to close the gender pay gap – the city’s female workers earn on average £4 less an hour than men, and 80 per cent are on less than the national median pay of £38,000 – and there had been moves to make the city safer particularly with its public realm projects like Armada Way.

A VAWG Commission was set up to review what was being done across the city to educate people, prevent and deter these crimes following the tragic shootings in Keyham and the murder of teenager Bobbi-Anne McLeod, both in 2021

The city was also the first to launch Man Culture, a group of men who got together with the purpose of being part of the solution to reducing VAWG and is leading the way for change in how men react with women.

Cllr Dann said efforts had been made to get young girls interested in sport and exercise and adopt habits that they would continue into later life.

Deputy council leader Jemima Laing (Lab, Stoke) said the statistics around women’s health were “sobering”: “It’s incumbent on us to act on what you have told us,” she said to Prof Maddern.

“If we get it right for women, we get it right for everybody.”