Deprivation not the only key factor in areas hit hard by coronavirus, says Public Health boss

Analysis from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the mortality rate for the most deprived areas in March and early April was 55 deaths per 100,000 people.

In the least deprived areas, the death rate was 25 deaths per 100,000 – a difference of almost 120 per cent.

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St Helens is one of the most deprived areas in the country, in terms of relative health deprivation and disability, with a significant number of people succumbing to coronavirus.

However, the actual mortality rate is 38 per 100,000, ranking St Helens as the 106th out of 316 local authority areas.

Sue Forster, St Helens Council’s director for Public Health, said there are other driving factors – such as population density – that appear to be “highly relevant” to areas with high mortality rates.

Ms Forster said: “Deprived areas generally have poorer health and lower life expectancy than other areas.

“Areas with higher levels of deprivation therefore have a greater proportion of people with underlying health issues that may be affected by COVID-19.

“However, deprivation is not the only significant factor. Population density also appears to be highly relevant, and many of the areas with the highest rates of infection are cities and large towns.

“Statistics and figures are changing by the week, but recent ONS data had St Helens as a COVID-19 mortality rate of 38 per 100,000, ranking St Helens 106th highest out of 316 local authority areas.”

Sue Forster, director of Public Health in St Helens

Ms Forster added: “The council is encouraging our community to keep to the ‘social distancing’ national guidance through ongoing media; ensuring people in vulnerable situations are supported both emotionally and practically with food and medicines.

“We are also we are increasing testing both for health and social care staff and those that maybe symptomatic in families of health and social care staff – as well as working closely with enforcement to ensure social distancing is applied and responding to any issues identified in our community.”

According to the ONS analysis, the local authorities with the highest mortality rates for deaths involving COVID-19 were all London boroughs.

London as a whole had the highest age-standardised mortality rate with 85.7 deaths per 100,000 persons involving COVID-19.

This was significantly higher than any other region and almost double the next highest rate.

Rates were also high in the major cities of Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham.

While the death rate in St Helens is not among the highest in England, the infection rate has consistently been in and around the top 10 for several weeks.

As of Friday, there were 687 confirmed cases in St Helens, at a rate of 381.6 cases per 100,000 population.

Knowsley has 606 cases, at a rate of 405.2 cases per 100,000 population.

The link between the number of deaths in St Helens and the infection rate – which has continued to fluctuate – was explored in a special report by the Local Democracy Reporting Service last month

At the time, St Helens Council leader David Baines questioned the link between the number of deaths in the borough and its high infection rate and the “significant poverty and deprivation” in parts of the borough.

Cllr Baines has now said the “shocking” ONS findings underlines the need for stronger action from the government to tackle poverty.

The Labour council leader also pointed to The Marmot Review 10 Years On, published in February, which looked at the widening health inequalities in the UK’s most deprived places.

The review, which was commissioned by the Health Foundation, found that government spending has decreased most in the most deprived places and cuts in services outside health and social care have hit more deprived communities the hardest.

St Helens Council leader David Baines

“The impact of deprivation on health has long been well-established, so it is perhaps no surprise to see such a stark link between poverty and COVID-19 mortality rates,” Cllr Baines said.

“But nonetheless it is shocking, and it underlines the case made for years by myself, my Labour group, and many others locally and nationally that more needs to be done to address the causes and impact of poverty.

“As the independent Marmot Review published earlier this year clearly shows, ten years of government cuts to essential services in boroughs like ours have had a devastating direct effect on many people, and on the services that are meant to be there to support them,” Cllr Baines said.

“Among other things, the Marmot Review highlights the impact on health not just of poverty but also of poor housing and a lack of employment opportunities.

“In a post-COVID world, these issues must be tackled head-on.”

Cllr Baines added: “In addition to the hard work of our Public Health team, that’s why our Labour council has been and remains committed to providing employment opportunities and attracting new employers to the borough, to working with Torus and others to build new, quality, affordable housing in all our communities, and to working with partners from the public, private and third sectors to address the causes of poverty at the root, and not just the symptoms.

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“It’s also why the regeneration deal we’ve agreed with English Cities Fund is so important.

“I thank Sue Forster and our Public Health team for the work they are doing, and I encourage everyone to continue to follow the government advice – stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.”