Plymouth council sets out plan to tackle health inequalities

The Thrive Plymouth plan was created in 2014 to help improve health outcomes for residents.

Statistics showed that more than half of all deaths in Plymouth could be attributed to four lifestyle behaviours. Poor diet, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and excess alcohol consumption contributed to four diseases (coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and respiratory disease) that were responsible for 54 per cent of deaths in Plymouth.

Since 2014, health outcomes have improved, including a reduction in deaths from the four diseases, from 57.4 per 10,000 deaths in 2011 to 2013 to 49.2 in 2020 to 2022.

Healthy life expectancy has also increased for both men and women in Plymouth. Men's average healthy life expectancy has increased from 59.2 years to 64.3 years and from 58.7 years to 59.3 years for women.