Ontelly

The Glasgow Effect

Logo for The Glasgow Effect

Glasgow- the sick man of Europe- still isn't feeling so good. Iain Macwhirter explores why Glasgow suffers from mortality rates higher that even expected from the levels of deprivation in the city. Iain has his own vested interest. Having suffered from heart disease, and had consultants shrug their shoulders and declare it was a result of being Scottish, Iain wants to know whether his health has been impacted by this effect. Glasgow has been overtaken in the health stakes by Eastern European cities struggling to shrug off the legacy of communism. It's being left behind by the statistics from Liverpool and Manchester, which show, like-for-like, Glasgow's citizens are dying younger, whatever their wealth. Can we get to the bottom of what's making Glaswegians die? Produced by Lucy Lloyd.