Councillor raises concern over 10-year life expectancy gap

Chair of Lambeth's health and wellbeing board
Cllr Jim Dickson

By Georgia Hussey

Health inequality in Lambeth has caused a huge gap in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in the borough, a local councillor warned this week.

Jim Dickson, a Labour councillor and chair of Lambeth’s health and wellbeing board, said at a council meeting on Wednesday: “For people up and down the borough there is a 10 year plus age gap in terms of life expectancy between the richest and poorest.”

The health and wellbeing board was set up last year to coordinate all of the borough’s care providers, including GPs, pharmacies and care homes, and attempt to reduce health inequality.

Issues like mental health, obesity and teenage pregnancy are still a major problem in the borough.

“We need to ensure the right to early health care for children and old people, as well as people living with long term health conditions,” councillor Dickson said.