Chichester named one of England’s healthiest cities in new study

The city stands out in research by My Health Protected, which ranked 46 English cities and London according to six health indicators, including cancer screening rates, adult smoking levels, physical activity and alcohol-related hospital admissions.

Chichester’s strongest performance came in physical activity, with 80.2 per cent of adults achieving at least 150 minutes of exercise a week – the highest proportion of any city included in the study.

The city also recorded the fifth-highest bowel cancer screening coverage, with 77.3 per cent of eligible residents up to date with screening.

The findings place Chichester among a group of smaller southern cities performing particularly well on public health measures.

Hertfordshire’s St Albans topped the overall rankings, coming in the top 10 for all six indicators. It also recorded the lowest adult smoking rate among the cities studied, at just 4.5 per cent.

Winchester took second place, boasting the highest breast and bowel cancer screening coverage, at 79.2 per cent and 80.4 per cent respectively.

York was the only northern city to feature in the top 10, while Bath also performed strongly, with 78.1 per cent of adults classed as physically active.

At the other end of the table, Leicester was named England’s lowest-ranked city for health, with Birmingham and Manchester also among the larger urban areas struggling to match the performance of their smaller counterparts.

Patrick Baxter, private health insurance expert at My Health Protected, said healthy habits could have benefits beyond improving general wellbeing.

He said: “Healthy habits like not smoking and staying active don’t just keep you well; they also matter when insurers price a private health policy.

“Private cover can get you treated faster, but it doesn’t replace free NHS screening. If your screening letter is sitting in a drawer, book it today.”