Tower Hamlets is a young borough with a diverse community.
The population is growing rapidly both because of a high birth-rate and new residents coming to Tower Hamlets. The Greater London Authority estimates the population will rise to 316,000 in 2021.
Currently NHS Tower Hamlets serves a registered population of 240,467 people. Some 21.5 per cent of local people are under 14 and 70 per cent are under 40.
There is change, but there are also continuing inequalities. Life expectancy is improving and is now 73 years for men, and 79 years for women. But that compares with 82 years for men and 86 for women in wealthier Kensington and Chelsea.
Half of our population are made up of black or ethnic minority communities, including Britain’s largest Bangladeshi community. Some 90 languages are spoken in the borough.
The health issues include:
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high mortality rates for cardio vascular disease and cancer,
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chronic obstructive airways disease and diabetes,
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high numbers of low birth weight babies,
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high incidence of dental decay in children,
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high rates of teenage pregnancy,
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high prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases,
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suicide rates are higher than average for London, and appear to be increasing,
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high prevalence of depression, and very high emergency hospital admissions for schizophrenia.
For our population, circulatory disease and cancers are the major causes of premature death. Of all deaths from circulatory disease, by far the majority locally are caused by coronary heart disease (60 per cent) and stroke (19 per cent).
Smoking is responsible for four out of ten deaths, including 87 per cent of lung cancer and 86 per cent of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease deaths. We have high smoking rates – 37 per cent, compared with a national average of 27 per cent.
Forty-three per cent of men aged between 35 and 44 smoke. And many people use some form of chewing tobacco/paan, which is linked to severe gum disease and mouth cancers.
