Child mortality gap between rich and poor at 12-year high
TWO AND A HALF TONNES OF UNWANTEDITEMS ARE PULLED OUT OF OUR SEWERS EVERY WEEK
THE difference in the mortality rate of babies living in the most deprived parts of England and those in the wealthiest areas is wider than at any point in the past 12 years, according to new figures.
Experts warned that an increasing number of pregnant women are facing “social complexities” that are impacting their health, such as poor housing.
They also called for more to be done to tackle underlying factors, such as rising levels of obesity and smoking in pregnancy.
Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed there were 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in the most deprived areas of England compared to 2.2 per 1,000 births in the least deprived. The gap is the widest is has been for 12 years, the ONS said.
Regionally, the West Midlands continued to have the highest infant mortality rate with 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the South West had the lowest, at 2.8 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Clare Livingstone, professional policy advisor at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: “Midwives right across the UK are seeing a growing number of pregnant women experiencing more social complexities.
“There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the impact of disadvantage, such as poverty and poor housing on pregnancy and birth outcomes.”
Overall, 2,349 babies under the age of one died in England and Wales in 2022, up slightly from 2,323 in the previous year, the ONS said.
There were 1,019 deaths reported for children aged one to 15, up from 852 in 2021. This translates to 3.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births and 10 child deaths per 100,000 people, up from 3.7 and eight respectively.
Babies of black ethnicity continued to have the highest infant mortality rates among all ethnic groups, the ONS said.
Prof Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, described this statistic “extremely alarming”.
However, the ONS highlighted that small numbers of births and deaths in some ethnic groups can cause larger fluctuations over time.
Prof Naqvi said: “National action must be taken to address why black and ethnic minority women remain significantly and disproportionately affected by poor birth experiences and outcomes. Tackling these disparities is paramount to achieving equitable outcomes for all mothers and babies.”
SHE’S the former soldier who has gone into battle with her partner in grime against the biggest cause of sewer blockages – wet wipes.
Kirsty McIntyre, who served in the Royal Logistics corps, and colleague Fran Kai are on the frontline of tackling the gross problems on Severn Trent’s waste network.
The pair only teamed up in January but have already become customer favourites and fast friends – bonding over their love of pets and a shared sense of humour.
But what is no laughing matter is the amount of drain and sewer blockages they are having to deal with in the areas they cover.
Labrador owner Kirsty, 32, said: “One of my first jobs was at a property where a garden had flooded and the smell was terrible. We lifted the manhole cover and the cause was wet wipes.
“The family who lived there had children and dogs but they could not use the garden until we managed to unblock it.”
Passionate fisherman Fran, 34, added: “I remember being called to one property and pulled out five or six bags of wet wipes from their drains. They are definitely the biggest issue we face in terms of block
PEOPLE living near Church Wilne in Derbyshire are being invited to a drop-in event to learn more about the latest stage of Severn Trent’s project to use nature-based solutions to treat more water.
The £140 million Witches Oak project is part of the company’s wider £566 million “Green Recovery Programme”, and includes the development of a new water treatment works, next to the existing Church Wilne works. The project is due for completion by spring 2025.
This will provide up to an additional 89 million litres of drinking water every day, which is enough to supply a city the size of Derby and will help ensure customers continue to have a secure and resilient supply. The project will also host a national first, with the introduction of floating wetlands to pre-treat water.
The drop-in session will be held ages, along with fats, oil and greases which can cause fatbergs.
“The best part of the job is helping customers who are really grateful when we turn up and work to unblock their drains.
“Quite often it may be that the person who has called us out is not responsible, it could be a neighbour or someone five doors down.
“But if it is clear they are responsible we give them polite and friendly advice that they should only flush the three Ps down the toilet – poo, pee and paper.”
Kirsty and Fran were interviewed tomorrow at Sawley Baptist Church Hall between 3.30pm and 6.30pm.
Mat Bingham, Green Recovery Programme lead, said: “We’re working hard to futureproof our networks to make sure that we can meet the emerging challenges of population growth and climate change, and this project is a great example of how we’re exploring and implementing alternative, as part of Severn Trent’s campaign to showcase what its waste teams do and to highlight what should not be flushed. The workmates clearly have a lot in common and have a great relationship.
Fran said of Kirsty: “I love her sense of humour – she’s just great to work with. Before Severn Trent, I’d worked with people I had nothing in common with, so when you are doing an 11-hour shift it can become as hard as the job. But working with Kirsty is great fun and we have lots in common including pets, as I’ve had dogs and cats. sustainable solutions. This project will ensure a continued supply of water both now and into the future, helping us to mitigate issues of water scarcity during the longer, hotter summers that are becoming a feature of our climate.
“The fact we’re turning to nature to help pre-treat the water will mean we’re doing this in the most sustainable way possible, and as a
“We make a great team who put the customer first with everything we do.”
Kirsty, who served in the army for four years before joining Severn Trent, said: “I love my job because we are helping customers every day, which gives you a great deal of satisfaction.
“They are always so grateful for the work we do and offer us lots of cups of tea while we are working, which is lovely.
“And don’t tell Fran, but working with him is also one of the best things about the job as he always makes me laugh, even on a bad day.”
Wet wipes containing plastic are facing a potential ban under new Government legislation. Even some that say “flushable” or claim to be biodegradable don’t break down like toilet paper. Other culprits are kitchen roll, cotton buds, nappies and sanitary products.
Around two and a half tonnes of wipes and other items which shouldn’t be put down the toilet are pulled out of our sewers every week, around the same weight as an African elephant. Severn Trent is asking everyone to “be a binner, not a blocker” by only flushing those three Ps down the toilet. first for the national water sector, it could could help change how the industry looks to be carbon friendly when it comes to water treatment.”
In total, 31 floating wetlands have been installed on the northern lakes at the nearby gravel pits at Witches Oak next to the River Trent, providing a more sustainable and carbon friendly treatment process.
Severn Trent is also working with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to enhance biodiversity at both the northern and southern lakes. As well as installing new reed beds there will be 5km of new hedgerow, wildflower planting and barn owl boxes.
Mat said: “We’ve had a few challenges over the winter with the extreme levels of rainfall that we experienced across the region, but our wetlands in the northern lakes have all withstood the weather and are absolutely flourishing.”