Shane Croucher

The latest data on deaths and life expectancy in Lincoln is “shocking”, says the head of leading local social charity.

Life expectancy for males in the city can be as much as 11.9 years shorter, depending on what area you live in. For women the gap is 6.9 years at its largest.

Jeanne Bain, Chief Executive of Lincoln Community Development Project (LCDP), told The Lincolnite: “This is deeply worrying.

“We have been working in Lincoln since 1997 and we were aware that male life expectancy was significantly lower than the rest of the country.

“However the last figure I was given was 6 years lower, it has risen now to 11.9 years difference in the most disadvantaged areas of Lincoln–this is shocking.”

Early deaths relating to heart disease, strokes and cancer in Lincoln are higher than average for England.

For every 100,000 residents over 35-years-old, 82.5 die before the age of 75 from a stroke or heart disease, comparing with a national average of 70.5.

Cancer causes early deaths in 129 cases per 100,000 people, compared with the national average of 112.1.

Despite performing badly against the national average, the city’s early death rates have been falling at a steady pace in recent years.

Graph from the Department of Health showing steady decline in death rates of all ages and causes for Lincoln against the average rate for England.

Bain said: “We are working with Public Health to address this problem through our EPOC (Early Presentation of Cancer) programme.

“This work uses community development and social marketing to raise awareness and the importance of early presentation of signs and symptoms to GPs.

“Early diagnosis leads to much better outcomes for people affected by cancer.”

Photo: Kelly Moore for The Lincolnite

The city councillor responsible for sport in Lincoln has defended a decision to set aside £50,000 for the Olympic torch party next year.

Replying to a question from Councillor Alister Williams, a Conservative member for Castle Ward, at Full Council on June 28, Councillor Donald Nannestad, Labour’s Portfolio Holder for Recreational Services and Health, said:

“The £50,000 is a contingency budget set aside for the evening celebration event. We hope that the actual amount that we need to spend will be significantly less than that.

“I have to say that when the agreement was made to host this torch event, there was no budget put aside at all.

“There has to be some budget. This is a figure that we hope we won’t come anywhere near […] but we do have to have a figure in the budget.”

Cllr Williams had asked how the council’s executive arrived at that amount and what it will be spent on.

He went on to ask how the City Council can ensure that there is “value for money for the taxpayers of Lincoln […] in light of the fact that the Value for Money Committee has been scrapped by the new administration”.

Cllr Nannestad insisted that the committee hadn’t been scrapped, just renamed as the Performance Scrutiny Committee.

He added: “There’s no question that what we do will be value for money.”

Specific details about the Olympic Torch party are shrouded in secrecy by the City Council. The speculation, however, is that it will be held at Yarborough Sports Centre.

This possible location has received criticism, given Lincoln’s wealth of impressive locations, like the cathedral and castle.

In an interview with The Lincolnite in May, Ric Metcalfe, the City Council Leader, said that the council has signed a confidentiality agreement with Olympic organisers and so it will not be able to confirm anything until given the all clear by them.