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North-East's Fading Force

Posted on: Friday, 1 July 2005, 06:00 CDT

North-East folk are an endangered species, according to official statistics.

As Southerners bask in the knowledge they have some of the longest life expectancy rates in the UK, North-East residents are being warned they have the lowest fertility and highest mortality rates in the country.

The warning comes from the latest Government population trends. But it's not all bad news ( the figures also show we are some of the kindest in the country.

More men and women in the North-East are willing to spend 20 hours or more a week intensively caring for others compared to our counterparts in the South.

The finding prompted health officials to call for more Government cash in dealing with the industrial legacy of the region, with Unison North regional secretary Gill Hale saying it was time to rectify the problems of the past.

"Our industrial past has left us facing many health issues and so we need to make sure we get health care provision focused effectively on those needs.

"However these figures also show we haven't moved as far as we might have done and that a lot of work needs to be done. Resources need to be put in to bring a better balance to the region."

The population trends survey from the Office for National Statistics revealed Hartlepool men were the most likely to die before their time, with males in the town suffering the highest mortality rates in Britain ( 31% above average.

Only Berwick and Castle Morpeth in Northumberland and Teesdale in Durham rated lowered than 100, the score the ONS describes as "normal".

Source: The Journal - Newcastle-upon-Tyne

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