A record 3.7 million workers in England will have a major illness by 2040, according to research by the Health Foundation charity. On current trends, 700,000 more working-age adults will be living with high healthcare needs or substantial risk of mortality by 2040 – up nearly 25% from 2019 levels, according to a report.
But the authors predicted no improvement in health inequalities for working-age adults by 2040, with 80% of the increase in major illness in more deprived areas. Without action, the authors warn, people in the most deprived areas of England are likely to develop a major illness 10 years earlier than those in the least deprived areas and are also three times more likely to die by the age of 70. Chronic pain, type 2 diabetes, anxiety and depression are forecast to grow at a faster rate in more deprived areas, while prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is four times more common in the most deprived areas than the least. These conditions have a significant impact on quality of life and may limit people’s ability to work for long periods of time.