Nottinghamshire women spend more years in poor health than men, report finds

Women are now living an average of 21 years in poor health compared to 16 years for Nottinghamshire men, according to the county council’s latest annual health report.

The number of years women typically live their lives in good health has dropped to 59.7 years in Nottinghamshire, compared to the national average of 61.9 years.

This is lower than men in Nottinghamshire.

Men have a healthy life expectancy – the number of years they can expect to live before their health declines – of 60 years in Notts – still below the England average of 61.5 years.

While Nottinghamshire’s figures remain close to national levels, the decline in healthy life expectancy – especially among women – is happening at a faster rate.

Councillors discussed the findings at the authority’s Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday, June 25.

Reform Councillor Dr John Doddy’s chaired the board for the first time since being appointed in May.

Vivienne Robbins, Nottinghamshire County Council Director of Public Health and Communities, presented the Director of Public Health and Communities Annual Report 2024-25.

She told the meeting: “In Nottinghamshire the healthy life expectancy for women has been declining for a number of years.

“And although we’re similar to the national average, we’re decreasing at a rate faster than the national average.

“The healthy life expectancy – the number of years of life in good health – is now under 60 for women, and this is the first time we’ve ever seen that.

“It’s going in the wrong direction. And there’s something specific about our women in Nottinghamshire that is different to the national average.”

The report identified several issues and health concerns women in Nottinghamshire face and ways the council can improve healthcare services.

Mental health struggles are particularly common among younger women, while physical health issues become more prevalent with age, the report revealed.

Anxiety, depression and autism were the most common reported conditions among 16 to 29-year-olds.

The same went for those aged 30 to 49, but perimenopause was on the list instead of autism as a primary concern.

In the 50-year-old to 64-year-old age group, menopause, anxiety and arthritis were most commonly cited health issues.

For women over 64, arthritis, high blood pressure and chronic pain were the most prevalent.

The report also outlined ten key recommendations to help close the health gap.

These include improving access to contraception and mental health services, better workplace support and safer green spaces.

Coun John Wilmott (Ash Ind) spoke of the need for early intervention by informing residents about health services available to them – and how they can reach those who do not check social media or the internet.

He said: “My first thought is early intervention in making sure that people are aware to get the help.

“We do have a certain percentage of people that are not on Facebook or online.

“How can we get the message through to them? It’s essential we get our act together and make sure district councils put this on their paperwork to make sure people know about them [these services].”

He also raised concerns about how non-English-speaking residents can access information on health services available to them.

Coun Doddy said he was “not aware” that this was a “big problem” the council is facing.

He said: “I’m not aware that that is an actual at the moment, any leaflet that I see has plenty of different languages in it.”