Health Of The Nation Almost one in ten says health is 'not good'

Census 2001 has released detailed results on health, disability and the provision of care, with 9.2 per cent of people in England and Wales saying their health is 'not good'.

In Wales, the proportion reporting their health as 'not good' is 12.4 per cent and all local authorities in Wales have above average rates for this response. In England, the region with the highest percentage of people reporting 'not good health' is the North East (12 per cent).

Among English counties, Durham is highest for 'not good health' (13.2 per cent), followed by Merseyside (12.6 per cent) and Tyne and Wear (12.3 per cent).

Among local authority districts, Merthyr Tydfil record the highest rate of 'not good health' (18.1 per cent), followed by Easington (17.3 per cent). Four other areas had over 15 per cent of the population in 'not good health', all in South Wales: Blaenau Gwent (16.5 per cent), Neath Port Talbot (16.4 per cent), Rhondda Cynon Taff (15.7 per cent) and Caerphilly (15.0 per cent).

Other districts with above average values for 'not good health' can be found in the North West, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire, and in coastal retirement areas.

By contrast, the South East, excluding London, has the lowest proportion of people in 'not good health', just 7.1 per cent of the population. The county with the lowest proportion is Buckinghamshire (5.8 per cent).

The local authority reporting the lowest prevalence of 'not good health' is Wokingham (4.6 per cent), which also has the highest number in good health, followed by Hart in North East Hampshire (4.8 per cent) and Surrey Heath (5.3 per cent). The lowest 20 per cent of local authorities for 'not good health', all with values of seven per cent or less, are mainly in the East and South East regions and Wiltshire.