Hartlepool men die three years early

Data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities also shows that men from the wealthiest fifth of the population can expect to live to 82.1 – 12.7 years more than the least well-off – the highest life expectancy gap in England.

The average life expectancy for men in Hartlepool stood at 75.5 in 2020 and 2021 – below the national average of 78.7.

Average life expectancy for women in the area was 80.7.

David Finch, assistant director at the Health Foundation, a charity working to tackle health inequalities said: "There are staggering differences in life chances depending on where people live.

"Prior to the pandemic, improvements in health had stalled while inequalities had widened.

"This includes major variation in healthy life expectancy between different areas of the country but also within local areas – sometimes between places that are just a few miles from one another."

He added: "We also see significant variation in how many people have long-term conditions, such as cancer and heart disease, between different areas – partly related to the varying conditions in which people are born, live and work."

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said tackling health disparities is a "priority" for the Government.

They added: “Later this year we will set out a white paper to reduce the gap in health outcomes between different places, so that people’s backgrounds do not dictate their prospects for a healthy life.”