Flintshire has the lowest proportion of healthy adults in north Wales — and the health board links it to cancer risk
Flintshire has the lowest proportion of healthy working-age adults and the lowest proportion of healthy older people of any area in north Wales, according to figures in a Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board cancer report published ahead of Thursday’s board meeting.
The report states: “Across north Wales, this figure ranges from 69.8% in Flintshire to 83.3% in Gwynedd” — placing Flintshire at the bottom of the north Wales range against a Wales average of 75%.
On older people, the report states: “This figure ranges from 57.7% in Flintshire to 73.1% in Conwy” — again the lowest in north Wales, below both the regional average of 65% and the Wales average of 61.7%.
The health board report links these figures directly to cancer risk, noting that older people are more likely to develop cancer and more likely to be living with other conditions at the same time.
The equivalent figures for north Wales as a whole are better than the Wales average for older people, at 65% against 61.7%, making Flintshire a clear outlier pulling the regional picture down.
Cancer incidence across Wales has increased by approximately 31% over the past two decades, and is approximately 20% higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived.
The report identifies a consistent deprivation pattern across cancer screening uptake, with lower participation rates in more deprived communities, which it says directly influences the stage at which cancer is diagnosed and long-term outcomes.
Approximately 5,600 people from across north Wales were treated for cancer in 2025, up from approximately 4,800 in 2019.
Cancer Research UK has estimated that cancer incidence will rise by 30% by 2040, driven primarily by an ageing population and lifestyle factors.
The north Wales population aged 65 and over is projected to increase by almost 29% by 2043.
The report also sets out lifestyle risk factors across north Wales, including that only 39.7% of working-age adults are a healthy weight, 19% of pregnant women smoke, and almost 17% of adults drink more than national guidelines on average each week.
All three figures are higher than the Wales average.
BCUHB said it will work with local partners and community groups from April 2026 to create a regional screening equity plan for north Wales, focusing on reducing variations in uptake between the most and least deprived areas.
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