Report reveals county's health problems

The annual Oxfordshire Health Profile gives an idea of how fit we are, how long we are living and what is making us ill.

It shows where the county ranks for life expectancy, teenage pregnancy and obesity levels compared to the rest of the country.

And there is cause for concern. The Department of Health report shows Oxfordshire has significantly worse rates for road deaths and skin cancer than the country’s average.

It has also emerged children are less physically active than elsewhere in England.

Just 44 per cent of Oxfordshire school children take more than three hours regular exercise compared to a national average of 55 per cent.

Last night NHS Oxfordshire would not elaborate on the report.

However, in a statement it stated that the health of people in Oxfordshire was generally better than the country’s average.

It is not a view shared by Susanna Pressel, who is on the county council’s health overview and scrutiny panel.

She called the findings of the report “absolutely disgraceful.”

She added: “ We have got some parts of the county where residents’ health is extremely poor.”

In May, the Oxford Mail reported how 46 per cent of children in Blackbird Leys saw a dentist regularly compared to an average 72 per cent elsewhere in the county.

Ms Pressel added: “I was appalled at the poor state of children’s dental health in some areas.”

The councillor has now called for more detail on this latest report.

Around 15 per cent of 11-year-olds are classed as obese compared to 18.7 per cent elsewhere in the country.

However, last year it emerged youngsters in West Oxfordshire weighed in with a higher than national average obesity rate.

Youth worker Melanie Jewell said more is needed to be done to get youngsters fit.

She said: “It is about getting parents and communities out there, getting stuck in and helping.”

Meanwhile, your chances of getting injured on the roads were higher in Oxfordshire than many other places.

There were 56 incidents per 100,000 people compared to the England average of 48.

The primary care trust pointed out road deaths may not all be Oxfordshire residents as many occurred on main roads, such as the M40.

The number of cases of skin cancer is also significantly higher than average with 23 cases diagnosed per 100,000 people, compared to an average of 13 per 100,000 across the country.

Experts believe the higher number of skin cancer cases can be attributed to better detection rates thanks to experts working at the Oxford Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital.

A snapshot also revealed around 17 per cent of Oxfordshire adults smoke and a further 21 per cent are obese, which were in line with the rest of the country.

And almost 80 per cent of mothers in the county breast feed, but more than eight per cent of expectant mothers smoke during pregnancy.

Lisa Mansour, a breast feeding expert from the North Oxford Baby Cafe, which supports new mothers to breast feed, said the team was extremely proud of the breastfeeding figures.

Meanwhile, the report showed life expectancy is 5.8 years lower for men and three years lower for women in the most deprived areas of Oxfordshire compared to those living in the least deprived areas.

Shakiba Habibula, the assistant director of Public Health for Oxfordshire, described in her report what the PCT’s priorities would be.

She said: “Tackling obesity, including increasing physical activity levels, reducing high risk alcohol behaviour and improving older people's physical activity programmes to reduce hip fractures.”

A PCT spokesman said: “It is important to note that the Health Profile shows Oxfordshire rates for child and adult obesity are way below the national and regional average.”

ACTIVE CHILDREN BARTON youth worker Melanie Jewell has been working hard to encourage children on the estate to be more active.

Ms Jewell set up the Barton Girls and Young Women Group in 2007 and launched footballing sessions, after it was decided there was little for girls on the estate to do.

The Oxfordshire County Council youth worker, who also lives in Barton, said since then the club has been instumental in tackling obesity, bullying and antisocial behaviour.

Now some of the first members to join the group are helping to coach other youngsters, and many have even achieved a GCSE equivalent for their footballing skills.

She added: “We have managed to get lots going on in Barton.

“But I think more could be done for the whole community elsewhere.”

SKIN CANCER ANDY Lee, from East Hagbourne, was diagnosed with inoperable cancer earlier this year.

Mr Lee, who runs Didcot Glass & Glazing, was treated for a malignant melanoma on his right arm four years ago.

But the cancer returned and in January this year the father of four had an operation to remove a tumour on his arm.

Further scans have revealed the cancer had spread to his liver, lungs and spine. He has now been told that the condition is inoperable.

Last night his wife Sarah urged other people to check themselves for skin abnormalities regularly.

She said: “I would say to people to really check themselves. Sometimes the moles may be in places you wouldn’t really check but might be exposed to the sun.

“It could make all the difference.”

ROAD INJURIES & DEATHS THE parents of Grant Embling, who was killed at a notorious accident blackspot, said they were disappointed to learn the message of road safety has still not been heard in the county.

According to official figures, around 870 people have been killed or injured on the county roads in the last year.

September will mark five years since Mr Embling, 20, of Sinodun Road, Didcot, was killed after his motorcycle was hit by a speeding car which was overtaking a lorry on the A4130 at Didcot.

Following her son’s death, Jan Embling, pictured with husband Mike, launched a campaign for improvements to the A4130.

More than 8,000 residents signed a petition resulting in the road being remarked to include a hatched area along the centre of the carriageway in order to discourage drivers from overtaking. But last night Mrs Embling said drivers were becoming increasingly ‘cocky’ .

She said: “I have to go along that road to get to Abingdon and I still see people overtaking.

“It is heartbreaking. There seems to be a great number of drivers who do not seem to have any thought about anybody else on the roads apart from themselves.

“People just do not have any respect. I think it is a problem with the whole of society.

“I thought the campaign work we had done would make a big difference. But it has not at all.”