Hunter residents more likely to die a premature and potentially avoidable death

The Hunter New England Central Coast region as a whole was ranked ninth nationally for its premature death rate in 2019, up to 60 per cent of which were deemed potentially avoidable.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare statistics, released today, highlights significant disparities in the likelihood of dying a premature death, depending on where you live.

The premature death rate varies across the Hunter New England and Central Coast region from a rank of 279 out of 543 local government areas nationally in Port Stephens, to a rank of 73 in Newcastle.

The age-standardised premature death rate across the region varied from a low of 474.4 per 100,000 people in Port Stephens, to 606.6 premature deaths per 100,000 people in the Newcastle local government area.

The national average in 2019 was 487.7, making up 34 per cent of all deaths of people under 75, more than half of which were potentially avoidable.

The leading causes of death locally and nationally were coronary heart disease and dementia, with diabetes, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer in the top ten.

Influenza and pneumonia were ranked the eleventh most common cause of death in the Hunter New England and Central Coast region, followed by breast cancer at number 12.

Suicide as a cause of death was also significantly higher than the national average in the Hunter New England Central Coast region.

There were 755 deaths by suicide throughout the region between 2016 and 2020, with men more likely to die by suicide than women.

The region was ranked eleventh nationally for all types of potentially avoidable deaths.

The institute defines potentially avoidable deaths as a measure of health system performance.

They include deaths among people under 75 from conditions that are "potentially preventable through individualised care and or treatable through existing primary or hospital care".

The list includes cancers, diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease.

The median age of death in the Hunter New England and Central Coast region was 81.6, slightly below the Australian average of 81.7.

Northern Sydney residents can expect to live the longest, with a median age at death of 85.8, more than 17 years longer than those those living in the Top End.

The median age at death for those in the Northern Territory in 2020 was 68.3.

Indigenous Australians born in 2015-2017 can expect to die around eight years less than non-Indigenous Australians.

Relative to other residents of NSW, the Hunter New England and Central Coast region was ranked seven out of 31 regions across the state, with an age-standardised death rate of 547 per 100,000.

The age-standardised death rate across NSW was significantly lower, at 480 deaths per 100,000 people.

The data also tracks deaths caused by Coronavirus, which accounted for 899 deaths in 2020 and was not a leading cause of death, but which is expected to creep into the top five causes of death in 2022.

IN THE NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: