Higher rate of death from lung conditions in Wigan than across England – despite massive UK disparity

Thousands of people die from lung conditions every year – such as flu, pneumonia and lung disease – and new analysis by charity Asthma + Lung UK lays bare the inequality between different areas.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 124 deaths from respiratory illness for every 100,000 people in Wigan – more than the 94 for England as a whole.

These figures have been standardised to account for age differences across different areas.

Wigan ranked 24th in England for deaths from lung conditions and 36th across the UK as a whole.

Four of the 10 worst places for respiratory deaths were in the North West, with Knowsley topping the list with 178 deaths per 100,000 people.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “It’s appalling that people across the UK are struggling to breathe, are being rushed to hospital in an emergency and that so many are dying avoidably from their lung conditions.”

She continued: "We know that people in more deprived areas are more likely to have worse lung health, often with no choice but to live in poorer quality housing, more polluted areas with higher smoking rates."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are working hard to improve lung health across the country – including by investing millions in research and backing the NHS’s targeted lung health checks programme, which aims to detect conditions including lung cancer earlier and faster.

“We’ve set ambitious clean air targets to reduce the health impacts of air pollution – ensuring reductions are made where concentrations are highest – and we’re committed to delivering on our Smokefree ambition by 2030, with smoking rates in England currently at an all-time low.”

“Chronic respiratory diseases forms a significant part of our Major Conditions Strategy, which covers the six different conditions that most affect the population in England and aims to alleviate pressure on the health system and support people to live healthier lives for longer, wherever they live,” they added.