Dorset Life: Health and Care

Dorset residents are generally healthy, but the growing number of older people will increase demand for health and social care services.

Health behaviours impact on both physical and mental health – and many people may be affected by more than one health behaviour.

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Physical health

• Healthy life expectancy is the number of years a person would be expected to live in good health. In Dorset, there is a difference of 12 years between healthy life expectancy and overall life expectancy for men, and 20 years for women 1.
• 23% of adults in Dorset are classified as obese; better than the national average 2.
• 28% of year six children are overweight, but this is better than the national average 3.
• 22% of children in reception are obese – marginally below the national average 3.
• Incidence of ’skin cancer’ in those under 75 is above the average in Dorset at 29.5 incidences per 100,000 people compared with 18.4 in England 1.
• Smoking typically causes 717 deaths per year in Dorset, which is a lower figure than the average in England 4.
• The rate of people killed and seriously injured on the roads continues to be above average, probably because Dorset has a high proportion of rural roads 1.

% year six children who are overweight

Mental health

• During the course of a year, almost one in four of us will suffer from some form of mental health condition 5.
• By 2030, the number of adults aged 70+ using services for people with learning disabilities is expected to more than double 6.
• By 2025, we expect to see more than 11,000 people aged 65 or over living with dementia locally, with the greatest increase among those aged 75+ in line with population growth 7.
• As of 2016, 816 pupils are designated with a Special Educational Need defined as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 8.
• Just under 4,000 adults in Dorset are thought to have Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) 9.
• Young people with a learning disability now prefer to leave the family home and move into supported living packages in the community.

People aged 65+ with dementia

Substance abuse

• In Dorset, admission rates for alcohol related harm continues to rise year on year 3.
• The number of young people taking illicit substances continues to drop although patterns of use are continually developing, with 4% of young men now reporting using New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in the past year 10.
• In Dorset, for every £1 invested in adult drug treatment services, savings of £2.50 in health and crime costs are generated 11.
• There were 2,321 domestic abuse incidents in Dorset last year 12.

Why does it matter:

Health and wellbeing influences – and can be influenced by – most aspects of our lives including how and where we live, our behaviours, our work and our leisure activities and is a common thread through these things.

Healthy populations live longer, are more productive and save more thus making a contribution to economic progress as well as personal wellbeing.

A positive perception of wellbeing is as important as good health itself and an above average proportion of Dorset residents aged 16+ have a high life satisfaction rating and feel that the things they do in their lives are worthwhile.

Local evidence can be used to anticipate need and target service provision.

Headline Figures

11,400

People aged 65+ living with dementia by 2025

2,321

Domestic abuse incidents in Dorset last year

£2.50

Returned in health and crime savings for every £1 invested in drug treatment

12-20 years

Difference between healthy life expectancy and overall

28%

Dorset year 6 children overweight

1 in 4

Dorset adults obese

717

Smoking related deaths in Dorset every year

Sources

• 1 PHOutcomes, 2013-14 Malignant Melanoma
• 2 Local Authority Adult Excess Weight Data, 2013-2015, Public Health England
• 3 Local Area Interactive Tool (LAIT). Available at: https://www.gov.uk/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait
• 4 PHOutcomes, Health Profile 2014
• 5 Government’s response to the five year forward view for mental health, 9 January 2017.
• 6 Older people with a learning disability 2012, British Institute of Learning Disabilities
• 7 POPPI Projecting Older People Information
• 8 Pupil Census 2016, DCC.
• 9 Extending the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, Brugha et al., 2012
• 10Alcohol and Drugs Strategy 2016-2020, Public Health Dorset.
• 11Alcohol and drugs prevention, treatment and recovery: why invest?, Public Health England, 2014.
• 12Dorset Police: https://apps.geowessex.com/stats/Topics/Topic/Crime.