Rob Knight

Dr Amir Khan has urged the UK Government to tackle major postcode-based differences in life expectancy, which can reach 18 years between affluent areas such as Marylebone and Berkhamsted and poorer places including Glasgow, Grimsby and Blackpool. The figures, based on Office for National Statistics health-state estimates for people born in England between 2019 and 2023, reflect factors including housing, air pollution, financial security, education, transport and access to healthy food. Khan and campaign coalition Health Equals promoted the issue through a “Shelf Life” installation in London. A poll found that 95% of respondents considered the life expectancy gap a problem, while only two in ten believed the Government was doing enough. Health Equals is calling for legislation making the improvement of health and reduction of inequalities a legal duty for current and future governments.

A poll of 2,000 UK adults found that six in ten have hobbies or ambitions they have not pursued, with money, lack of time, uncertainty about how to begin and low self-belief among the main barriers. Learning languages, playing instruments and writing were the most popular unrealized goals, while many respondents reported regret and frustration about delaying them. Confidence declines sharply with age, and London had the highest proportion of residents with unfulfilled hobby ambitions. The findings support a campaign by Davina McCall’s Begin Again podcast and Monzo, which will offer free events and promote ways to make time and budget for new activities.