PEOPLE in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole were less likely to die from respiratory illnesses than the rest of the England in 2021, new figures show – despite significant differences across the UK.

Thousands of people die from lung conditions every year – such as flu, pneumonia and lung disease – and new analysis by the charity Asthma + Lung UK lays bare the inequality in deaths between different areas of the UK.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there were 86 deaths from respiratory illness for every 100,000 people in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole – meaning the area has fewer than the 94 for England as a whole.

These figures have been standardised to account for age differences across different areas.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ranked 101st from last in England for deaths from lung conditions and 67th from last across the UK as a whole.

Across the UK, four of the 10 worst places for respiratory deaths are in the North West of England – with Knowsley in Merseyside topping the list with 178 deaths per 100,000 people.

Asthma + Lung UK said the Government must address the 'stark inequality' in lung health across the UK.

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the charity, said: “It’s appalling that people across the UK are struggling to breathe, are being rushed to hospital in an emergency and that so many are dying avoidably from their lung conditions.”

Separate figures, also from the ONS, show 11.4 per cent of adults in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are smokers – lower than the UK average of 13.3 per cent.

"We need to tackle the lung health lottery head on," Ms Woolnough urged.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We are working hard to improve lung health across the country – including by investing millions in research and backing the NHS’s targeted lung health checks programme, which aims to detect conditions including lung cancer earlier and faster.

“We’ve set ambitious clean air targets to reduce the health impacts of air pollution – ensuring reductions are made where concentrations are highest – and we’re committed to delivering on our Smokefree ambition by 2030, with smoking rates in England currently at an all-time low.”