MORE than 2,000 people in the Dudley borough died prematurely between 2014 and 2016, official statistics have revealed.

According to figures from the Office of National Statistics – 2,238 Dudley residents died under the age of 75 from conditions deemed preventable, treatable or both - through timely and effective healthcare or public interventions.

Deaths deemed avoidable include those from conditions such as heart disease, some cancers, respiratory diseases and type 2 diabetes - where lifestyle and environment may have contributed - and those that could have been prevented such as HIV/AIDS, accidental and self-inflicted injuries, various infections and drug use disorders.

The figures show the rate of premature deaths was 238.8 per 100,000 in Dudley metropolitan borough, compared to affluent Chiltern in Buckinghamshire where the rate was the lowest at 137.9 and Manchester where it was highest at 388.

For women in Dudley – the death rate was considerably lower at 175.1 but for men it was 308.3. In neighbouring South Staffordshire – men fared better; the avoidable death rate for males was 226.5 per 100,000 - and 140.9 for women.

Dudley North MP Ian Austin said of the figures: “It really is a scandal that in 2018, 70 years after the NHS was established, people in places like Dudley die earlier than people in other areas. There needs to be a real focus on the illnesses that contribute to this, but we need to tackle the wider issues that reduce people’s life chances too, such as poor housing and drive up school standards to ensure people in places like Dudley get the same opportunities as people elsewhere.”

According to BBC analysis – there was a strong correlation between the rate of avoidable deaths and the level of deprivation in an area.

Dudley ranks 101 out of 326 local authorities for deprivation - with one being the most deprived; while Manchester is one of the most deprived local authority areas in the country - with Chiltern among the least deprived.

Health chiefs at Dudley Clinical Commissioning Group said "undoubtedly Dudley will have a greater prevalence of certain long-term conditions and will also have a poorer health behaviour profile" but the CCG provides numerous initiatives to help people live longer, healthier lives.

Paul Maubach, Dudley CCG's chief executive officer, said: “Our role as a CCG is to plan and buy services to meet the needs of local people. We work closely with our colleagues in Public Health to understand these needs and we know there are many factors which impact on a person’s health outcomes."

He said more than 500 Dudley residents had benefited from the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme - a free personalised service for people at risk of type 2 diabetes which provides advice on healthy eating, weight loss and how to become more active.

Mr Maubach said over the last decade the CCG has also focused on identifying people with hypertension and supported them to manage their condition which has seen mortality rates for the disease drop from more than double the national average to 20 per cent below.

He added: "Factors affecting health span much more than access to high quality healthcare and it is for these reasons we believe the solution to reducing inequalities sits within a new type of health and care organisation."

He said the CCG was currently procuring a Multi-specialty Community Provider (MCP) organisation which focuses on health outcomes and works with partners to create the right environment and opportunities for healthy living in Dudley and he added: "We hope to announce the preferred bidder for this new organisation at the end of this month.”

Dudley Council also offers numerous health-focused programmes and activities and councillor Ruth Buttery, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "Our work through the Lets Get Healthy team provides tailored support to people in all sorts of areas from weight management to exercise.

“We also commission a self-management programme, which supports people with long-term health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and respiratory diseases to look after themselves through courses led by volunteers who have long-term health conditions themselves.

“We will continue to work with partners to ensure people have access to information and facilities to help them lead healthier, longer lives wherever possible."