Average life expectancy was 76.9 years for men and 81.2 for women in 2004, up from 74.5 and 79.6 in 1996.
But the DoH also reports that obesity, diabetes and alcohol-related hospital admissions are rising.
Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said these major health inequalities must be tackled.
‘To address this we have already announced major improvements to GP services across the country – greater flexibility in opening times, and over 100 new GP practices in the 25 per cent of PCTs with the poorest provision,’ she said.
rachel.liddle@haymarket.com
View the Health Profile for England 2007.
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