Twelve different areas in Swindon among most deprived in country
In a report Swindon ranked 98 out of 151 councils in England for deprivation
Last updated 4th Sep 2025
Twelve different areas in Swindon are counted as being in the most deprived tenth of the country, and that has an effect on the health and life expectancy of the people living there.
Councillors sitting on the Build a Fairer Swindon policy committee will hear from Swindon Borough Council’s recently appointed director of public health Dr Emma Kain, about health inequalities across the borough this week.
Six wards are among the top 20 per cent for deprivation: Gorse Hill & Pinehurst, Liden, Eldene & Park South, Central, Mannington & Western, Penhill &Upper Stratton, Rodbourne Cheney, and Walcot & Park North. More than 35,000 people live in those areas.
Dr Kain’s presentation says deprivation and economic status is one of the most significant indicators of health outcomes.
With Swindon ranked 98 out of 151 councils in England for deprivation, Dr Kain’s report highlights the effect: “Males in Chiseldon & Lawn live five years longer than those in Central Ward and a female in St Andrews will live eight years longer than one in Priory Vale.”
These figures are on average.
The specific health inequalities include increased rates of asthma, diabetes and epilepsy in areas in the 20 per cent most deprived parts, as well as worse mental health and dental health particularly among children.
Dr Kain’s report says one of the council’s plans is “to concentrate on the core 20 areas to increase access to specialist epilepsy nurses, access rates to children’s and young people’s mental health services, address the backlog for tooth extractions in hospital for the under-10s.”
Other priorities are to: “Increase access to specialist epilepsy nurses and ensure access in the first year of care for those with a learning disability or autism; address over-reliance on (asthma) reliever medicines and decrease the number of asthma attacks ; and increase access to real-time continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps in the most deprived quintiles and from ethnic minority backgrounds. And to increase the proportion of young people with Type 2 diabetes receiving annual health checks.”
Dr Kain said there are opportunities in the Let’s talk Swindon p[programme of engagement sessions with residents, and asl well as concentrating on the ‘core 20’ wards of highest deprivation, the council should “build health inequalities considerations into decision-making, commissioning and contract monitoring.”
The Build a Fairer Swindon Committee meets at 6pm on Thursday September 4.