Kent’s East–West Health Divide: Coastal Communities Falling Behind

A decade of Conservative-led austerity in Britain has coincided with worsening health gaps and stalled life expectancy. Recent reviews warn that cuts to public spending have “consistently harmed life expectancy” and widened inequalities. In particular, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty’s 2021 report stresses that coastal and disadvantaged communities suffer overlapping health problems. In Kent, this national trend shows in an apparent east–west divide: the poorer, coastal east of the county fares worse than affluent inland areas.

Kent Health Deprivation Rankings 2015, 2019, 2025

The Health Deprivation and Disability domain of the IoD measures risk of premature death and poor quality of life. In 2015, the rankings placed Thanet at the top of Kent’s most deprived areas for health, followed closely by Swale and Folkestone & Hythe. At the other end, Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells appeared among the healthiest districts in the country.

But a look at the latest 2025 rankings shows an alarming trend: every single district in Kent has worsened in health deprivation compared to 2019—and by extension, 2015. Some, like Gravesham and Tunbridge Wells, dropped by more than 35 national places in the rankings. Even Thanet, already among the most deprived, slid further.

The takeaway? Health outcomes have deteriorated everywhere, not just in traditionally deprived areas. Kent’s most affluent local authorities—Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, and Tunbridge Wells—also experienced significant drops in the national rankings. The east–west divide remains, but it’s no longer only an east-side problem.

GP Access: Flatlining Through A Decade.

Despite population growth, GP appointment totals have changed little over the period. NHS Digital data show about 27 million GP appointments in England in July 2019. By August 2025, (page 31) official figures were roughly 27.2 million – essentially the same volume over six years (pre- and post-pandemic). This implies minimal real growth in access.

Locally, the picture is similar. Practices in Kent & Medway delivered about 912,000 appointments in June 2023; by July 2025 this had edged up to roughly 960,000—an increase of about 5% over two years. That’s around 0.9–1.0 million a month (≈ 11 million a year) across Kent. In short, GP activity has been broadly flat rather than expanding with need—so when people say it’s getting harder to secure an appointment, the data backs them up.

The East West Health Divide In Practice

These data mirror a deep east–west health divide in Kent. East Kent – including Thanet, Shepway and Dover – has many more deprived communities and worse health outcomes. West Kent – Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells – are among England’s healthiest. For example, Kent’s own analyses find residents of coastal East Kent die younger: people in coastal Kent live about 1.8 years shorter than those inland The causes cited (lung disease, heart disease, etc) reflect long-term deprivation.

Concrete data back this up. Kent and Medway ICS reports that male life expectancy ranges from 75.9 years in Bean and Darenth ward (in Dartford, East Kent) up to 89.9 years in Riverview ward (in Sevenoaks, West Kent). In other words, a baby boy born in Dartford today can expect to live 14 years less than one in Sevenoaks. These local patterns strongly align with our deprivation rankings: the worst-ranked areas (Thanet, Swale, Shepway, Dover) correspond to the “coastal effect” Whitty described.

Similarly, GP appointment data point to sustained pressure. Face-to-face consultations rose from 64% in June 2023 to 69% in July 2025—a modest five-percentage-point uptick—indicating only limited improvement in Face-to-face consultations.

Coastal Struggles: The Whitty Warning

England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty, warned in his 2021 report on coastal communities that many seaside areas—often older, poorer and harder to reach—have some of the worst health outcomes in England, with high burdens of long-term conditions and mental ill-health. He pointed to structural disadvantages: an older age profile, concentrated deprivation, poor transport links and persistent workforce gaps.

Four years on, Kent reflects that picture. Coastal East Kent—Thanet, Folkestone & Hythe and Dover—sits at the top of the county’s health-deprivation rankings, while inland districts such as Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells perform better overall, albeit with some relative decline since 2015.

Conclusions: Austerity Legacy And Policy Challenge

In sum, Kent’s health metrics underscore warnings about the impact of Conservative austerity on public health. Austerity-era funding cuts are blamed for stalled national life expectancy and widening inequalities. Kent’s data illustrate the local dimension: the poorest, east/coastal districts suffer far worse health outcomes than wealthy west Kent. Yet GP workload is flat – about 27 million annual appointments both in July 2019 and August 2025 (Page 31) – implying capacity has not kept pace with need.

This east–west divide and flat GP access leave health campaigners calling for urgent action. As one public health expert put it, improving the nation’s health “starts” with fixing its coastal and deprived communities. Kent’s league table suggests that without policy change, the pattern will persist: our analysis provides clear data for planners and politicians as they confront the legacy of austerity in Britain.

The Shepway Vox Team

Journalism For The People NOT the Powerful