Stoke-on-Trent has more work to do to tackle public health issues despite 'significant progress' over the last 100 years, a new report says.

The director of public health's annual report looks back at the challenges that were facing Stoke-on-Trent in 1925 – the year city status was awarded – and compares them to the situation in 2025.

In 1925 the main causes of death in Stoke-on-Trent were bronchitis, pneumonia and tuberculosis, as residents were constantly exposed to the smog from pottery factories and had to live in damp and crowded homes.

The report says that while the pottery industry has always been a source of local pride, it came 'at the expense of significant health issues', with poor housing, malnutrition and very high infant mortality rates also blighting people's lives.

Over the last 100 years, the decline of industry and improvements to housing, diet and access to medical services have seen this situation change markedly.

Today's public health challenges include obesity – with 74 per cent of adults in Stoke-on-Trent being overweight, compared to 65 per cent in England – mental health issues and and substance abuse. But Stoke-on-Trent still has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the country.

Director of public health, Stephen Gunther (image via LDRS)

Director of public health Stephen Gunther recommends various actions that individuals, communities and the council can do to make Stoke-on-Trent healthier. These include building homes 'fit for the future', supporting people affected by drug and alcohol addiction, and helping to improve people's mental health by doing 'one kind thing for someone else daily'.

In his introduction to the report, Mr Gunther says: "This report considers our past and our achievements, as well as identifying the areas that need more work and may need more of a focus in the years to come.

"Stoke-on-Trent has always been a city of communities and community action, and in celebrating what we have achieved and where we aim to go, we can work more closely together to make those aims a reality, and to make Stoke-on-Trent a healthier, happier home."

Elected members at Stoke-on-Trent City Council welcomed the report and its recommendations. Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for finance, said it showed that Stoke-on-Trent still had 'a long way to go' to go, despite the progress that had been made.

She said: "It was really interesting to see how life was like in the past, and how people's lives have changed. I didn't realise how big the city's population was back then, with people being crammed in those tiny little houses, and the impact that damp, poverty and poor education had on people's lives. Unfortunately those things still remain."

Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "We know there is still much to do around health inequalities. Whether that is access to GP and dental appointments, mental health services, opportunities to access green spaces and safe places to play, and family first advice and support. The public health team are committed to improving life chances for everyone."

Opposition Conservative councillor Chandra Kanneganti said the historical elements of the report were 'really interesting', but called on the council to do more in practical terms to tackle Stoke-on-Trent's public health problems. Dr Kanneganti said: "Nobody disagrees with the goals of the report. But it's our duty to look beyond the words and ask whether the actions and outcomes match the rhetoric.

"This administration talks a great deal about empowering communities and building resilience but empowerment doesn't happen through warm words and reports. It happens when people have access to services, opportunities and decent living conditions. Many of our residents do not have these."

But council leader Jane Ashworth hit back and insisted that Labour is taking action in these areas, linking the current problems with cuts to services under the Conservatives, both locally and nationally.