A HEALTH chief has warned of a ‘sustained reduction’ in life expectancy among elderly residents in Blackburn with Darwen.

Dominic Harrison, the council’s director of public health, said the reduction was ‘extremely unusual’, and pointed to enforced cuts to social care budgets and increased pressure on hospitals as possible explanations.

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The ‘alert’ was raised in an e-mail to regional health officials, which has been obtained by the Health Services Journal (HSJ).

National data shows a slight reduction in life expectancy for women at the age of 85, from 6.85 years from 2009 to 2011, to 6.83 years from 2011 to 2013. For men it increased to 5.8, but by a much smaller amount than at any time since at least 2001.

Local data has not yet been published, but Mr Harrison’s e-mail said there has been a reduction for both men and women in Blackburn with Darwen.

Life expectancy in the borough, as well as that much of East Lancashire, is already among the lowest in the country.

Mr Harrison said possible explanations for the decline included government cuts to councils’ social care budgets, a lack of capacity in the GP sector and pressure on hospitals, the HSJ reported.

As the Lancashire Telegraph reported last week, Blackburn with Darwen Council has slashed its adult services budget by £7 million since 2012/13.

However, Mr Harrison’s concerns appear to be at odds with the council’s director of commissioning and adults, Steve Tingle, who claimed that more people are being supported at home or in residential care than have been ever before.

Meanwhile, the council’s news website, The Shuttle, made no mention of Mr Harrison’s concerns on November 21, when it trumpeted an increase in life-expectancy at birth in the borough.

Public Health England has said in a statement: “Life expectancy at age 85 will be influenced by many factors and it has fluctuated from year to year in the past.

“However, PHE is currently conducting further analysis of these trends and we hope to make the findings available in the near future.”

Historically, East Lancashire has had a lower life expectancy than many more affluent parts of the country because of lifestyle factors.

The area has one of the highest number of smokers per population and higher levels of heart disease.