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People in Lancashire with a Limiting Long-Term Illness

July 2003

This research monitor details limiting long-term illness results from the 2001 Census. The census definition of a limiting long-term illness is somewhat general and is said to represent any long-term illness; health problem or disability that limits daily activities or work.

Table 1 reveals that out of a population of just over 52 million in England and Wales, 9.5 million or 18.2 % were said to suffer from some form of limiting long-term illness, of which, 4.3 million were of working age. In the North West, the percentage of people suffering from a limiting long-term illness was 20.7%. For the broader Lancashire NUTS-2 area, which includes Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool Unitary Authorities, the percentage was also 20.7% which means that the County has a much higher incidence of people with limiting long-term illnesses than the England and Wales average. Lancashire also has a higher proportion of people of working age who through illness have to manage with some form of disadvantage.

At the district level, Blackpool had over 36,000 people, more than a quarter of its population, suffering from a limiting long-term illness, of which in excess of 17,000 were of working age. The Districts of Burnley, Fylde and Hyndburn also had higher proportions than the North West average. The two districts of South Ribble and Ribble Valley were the only areas of the Lancashire NUTS-2 region that had lower percentages of people with long-term illnesses than the average for England and Wales.

Table 1 People with Limiting Long-Term Illness, 2001
Area
Population
People with limiting long-term illness (1)
People of working age with limiting long-term illness (1,2)
Number
Percent
Number
Percent
 
 
 
 
 
 
NORTH LANCASHIRE
455,032
102,303
22.5
44,184
9.7
Blackpool
142,283
36,184
25.4
17,116
12.0
Fylde
73,217
15,583
21.3
6,011
8.2
Lancaster
133,914
26,702
19.9
11,758
8.8
Wyre
105,618
23,851
22.6
9,299
8.8
 
 
 
 
 
 
CENTRAL LANCASHIRE
442,327
83,744
18.9
40,063
9.1
Chorley
100,449
18,592
18.5
9,156
9.1
Preston
129,633
24,867
19.2
12,150
9.4
South Ribble
103,867
18,818
18.1
8,577
8.3
West Lancashire
108,378
21,467
19.8
10,180
9.4
 
 
 
 
 
 
LANCASHIRE WEST
897,359
186,047
20.7
84,247
9.4
 
 
 
 
 
 
EAST LANCASHIRE
517,368
106,909
20.7
52,952
10.2
Blackburn with Darwen
137,470
27,846
20.3
14,374
10.5
Burnley
89,542
19,770
22.1
9,838
11.0
Hyndburn
81,496
17,942
22.0
8,862
10.9
Pendle
89,248
18,695
20.9
9,112
10.2
Ribble Valley
53,960
9,308
17.2
3,975
7.4
Rossendale
65,652
13,348
20.3
6,791
10.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
LANCASHIRE COUNTY
1,134,974
228,926
20.2
105,709
9.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
LANCASHIRE NUTS-2
1,414,727
292,956
20.7
137,199
9.7
 
 
 
 
 
 
NORTH WEST
6,729,764
1,394,609
20.7
670,148
10.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
England and Wales
52,041,916
9,484,856
18.2
4,332,572
8.3
Notes (1) Limiting long-term illness covers any long-term illness, health problem or disability which limits daily activities or work.
(2) Working age population is 16-64 inclusive for men and 16-59 inclusive for women.
Percentages may not sum exactly due to rounding
Source Census 2001 - (External) Office for National Statistics

Long-term Illness and Dependent Children

Table 2 reveals that on average, a substantial 34% of the 21 million households in England and Wales contain at least one person with a limiting long-term illness. At the North West and the Lancashire NUTS-2 area levels the averages are somewhat higher with both areas recording a figure 38.4%.

At the district level, 42.9% of households in Blackpool contain at least one person with a limiting long-term illness. The districts of Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle and Wyre also recorded percentages in excess of 40%. In contrast, Ribble Valley district with 31.6% was the only district with an average figure lower than for England and Wales as a whole.

Table 2 Households with one or more people with a Limiting Long-Term Illness, 2001
Area
Households
Households with one or more people with a limiting long-term illness
Number
Percent
 
 
 
 
NORTH LANCASHIRE
197,443
77,578
39.3
Blackpool
69,340
27,455
42.9
Fylde
32,369
11,638
36.0
Lancaster
55,839
20,315
36.4
Wyre
45,295
18,170
40.1
 
 
 
 
CENTRAL LANCASHIRE
180,311
64,395
35.7
Chorley
41,027
14,019
34.2
Preston
52,970
19,225
36.3
South Ribble
42,728
14,734
34.5
West Lancashire
43,586
16,417
37.7
 
 
 
 
LANCASHIRE WEST
377,754
141,973
37.6
 
 
 
 
EAST LANCASHIRE
305,583
120,144
39.3
Blackburn with Darwen
53,407
21,258
39.8
Burnley
36,976
15,126
41.1
Hyndburn
32,976
13,644
41.4
Pendle
35,690
14,405
40.1
Ribble Valley
22,210
7,010
31.6
Rossendale
27,112
10,280
37.9
 
 
 
 
LANCASHIRE COUNTY
468,868
174,983
37.3
 
 
 
 
LANCASHIRE NUTS-2
683,337
262,117
38.4
 
 
 
 
NORTH WEST
2,812,789
1,079,168
38.4
 
 
 
 
England and Wales
21,660,475
7,374,974
34.0
Notes A dependent child is a person in a household aged 0-15 (whether or not in a family) or a person aged 16-18 who is a full-time student in a family with parent(s).
Percentages may not sum exactly due to rounding
Source Census 2001 - (External) Office for National Statistics

Ward Profile

The ward information detailed in this article refers to wards that were legally existing on 31 December 2002. A number of other research monitors contain ward information based on earlier ward boundaries and therefore are not fully compatible.

Table 3 reveals that the Jubilee Ward in Fleetwood (31.4%) has the highest proportion of people who consider themselves to be suffering from a limiting long-term illness. In comparison, Ellel Ward in Lancaster District was the only ward in Lancashire that recorded a percentage of below 10%.

Table 3 Selected Wards, Percentage Disabled
Rank
Ward
Local Authority
% Disabled
 
 
 
 
1
Jubilee
Wyre
31.4
2
Bare
Lancaster
29.1
3
Talbot
Blackpool
28.6
4
Milnshaw
Hyndburn
28.2
5
Claremont
Blackpool
28.1
 
 
 
 
297
Fernhurst
Blackburn with Darwen
12.9
298
Chipping
Ribble Valley
12.8
299
Aighton
Ribble Valley
11.7
300
Pennine
Chorley
10.6
301
Ellel
Lancaster
9.4
Source Census, 2001

Figure 1 details the percentage of the population within each Lancashire ward with a limiting long-term illness. The results have been aggregated into broad groups and reveal that a large number of coastal wards have over 25% of the resident population who consider themselves to be suffering from a limiting long-term illness. This is likely to be a reflection of the popularity of coastal areas amongst the older age-groups.

Figure 1 Percentage of All People with a Limiting Long-term Illness, 2001

Percentage of All People with a Limiting Long-term Illness Table 4 Percent of Disabled Workers, Selected Wards
Rank
Ward
Local Authority
% of disabled workers
 
 
 
 
1
Bloomfield
Blackpool
18.0
2
Talbot
Blackpool
16.4
3
Claremont
Blackpool
16.3
4
Brunswick
Blackpool
14.4
5
Shadsworth with Whitebirk
Blackburn with Darwen
14.4
 
 
 
 
297
Clayton-le-Dale with Ramsgreave
Ribble Valley
5.6
298
Howick and Priory
South Ribble
5.5
299
Preston Rural East
Preston
5.5
300
Ellel
Lancaster
5.0
301
Aighton
Ribble Valley
4.9
Source Census, 2001

Table 4 highlights the central Blackpool wards of Bloomfield, Talbot and Claremont as having high proportions of people of working age who are disadvantaged by a limiting long-term illness. At the other extreme, low levels of illnesses are found in the more rural wards within Lancashire.

Figure 2 Percentage of Working-Age with a Limiting Long-term Illness, 2001

Percentage of Working-Age with a Limiting Long-term Illness

Figure 2 shows that amongst the population of working with a limiting long-term illness there are high concentrations in a number of central Blackpool wards but the Fylde coast as a whole does not show the same concentrations as seen in Figure 1.

Of particular note in Figure 2 is the fact that four of the Skelmersdale wards are now found in the highest percentage group.

This page was compiled by Bryan Moulding .

All enquiries from the media should be sent to Corporate.Communications@lancashire.gov.uk .

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