UK life healthier for longer, ONS figures show

Healthy life expectancy (HLE) increased by more than two years in the period 2008-10 compared with 2005-07.
 
The proportion of life spent in good health has increased in England and Wales, but fallen in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
 
The ONS figures also show that more than four-fifths of a lifetime in the UK is spent in good health from birth.
 
Ed Jessop, Vice President of the Faculty of Public Health said: ""These figures are encouraging. They show that action on public health works. There is particular success for people living in England.
 
"But the gap between the health "haves" and "have nots" has widened, particularly for men living in Northern Ireland.
 
"There are many complex reasons for this, because our health is affected by a range of factors – not just what we eat or drink, and how active we are, but also our work, housing and access to all sorts of facilities.
 
"We need action now to address the root causes of these health inequalities. With all the changes happening in society and in the economy, as well as major changes to the NHS in England, we must use public health expertise to improve and protect our health, as well as to ensure that NHS services provide quality and value for money."