In response to the ONS Statistical Bulletin - Life Expectancies at Birth and at Age 65 by Local Areas in England and Wales, 2011-13, Simon Bottery, Director of Policy at Independent Age, said:
"While, we are in the main, living longer lives, these new figures show the health inequality gap is widening. There are clear variations between different areas of the country, with higher life expectancy in the South and lower life expectancy in North. While there are a range of reasons for such regional variations, this continued increase in health inequalities must be addressed. Sufficient services and resources should be made available to support older people's health and social care needs in local areas most at risk."