DIFFICULTY in getting an appointment with a doctor is a symptom of people living longer in poor health, according to health bosses.
Speaking at a council watchdog meeting, Lesley Smith, chief officer of the Clinical Commissioning Group - which commissions the town’s health services - said life expectancy in Barnsley had risen, but it meant people were living longer with complex conditions resulting in an increase in demand.
Ms Smith said the healthy life expectancy for men and women in Barnsley is just 56 years and that 24 per cent of the population in Barnsley have one or more long term conditions, compared to the national average of 17 per cent.
She added: “We are proud of the many things we do to fund care in Barnsley. It is also useful to think about the work we do together. What’s happening in primary care is a symptom of poor health - the increase in demand is a symptom of what is happening.
“Unemployment, housing, education and lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking and exercise - there is a lot of work we are doing together in addressing some of these factors which are leading to an increase in demand.”
Read more in this weeks Barnsley Chronicle
