by NICOLE LAMPERT

Hundreds of people are ill or dying unnecessarily in Brent and Harrow, the director of public health has warned.

Dr Mike Gill reveals that if more resources were poured into such initiatives as encouraging pregnant women to take folic acid; cutting down obesity in the two boroughs; persuading residents to exercise more, and managing those with heart disease, fewer people would be dying.

In Brent and Harrow Health Authority's annual public health report, Dr Gill said that significant steps had been taken but admitted more could be done.

"These examples represent a very significant growth in the overall health service contribution in recent years, but no less importantly point to how that growth could be made even greater," he said.

"Just in terms of the numbers of preventable deaths in Brent and Harrow every year, the scope for further impact is likely to run into at least many tens, but more probably hundreds."

One example he highlighted was the number of babies born with HIV (at least 20 in 1996), which could be greatly reduced by introducing voluntary tests for all pregnant mothers.

Another was that by making sure mothers-to-be took folic acid the incidence of spina bifida in children could be greatly decreased.

Dr Gill added that over the last ten years significant progress had been made.

He said: "We have halved the number of deaths from heart disease over the last ten years, not just because of improvements in health services, but through the way people live."

Dr Gill hoped that Government reforms to make health trusts more accountable would pave the way for further improvements.

"The scope for yet further contribution is even greater," he said. "The new emphasis on clinical governance should encourage all parts of the local health service to show what they are doing to realise that scope."

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