Photo: Stavros1 · CC BY 3.09 years separate the longest- and shortest-lived parts of Lowestoft
Inside the town, men’s life expectancy runs from 72.6 in Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley to 81.8 in Oulton Broad West, 1.6 miles apart. Life expectancy is 77.7 for men and 81.2 for women. For 2019 to 2023, England’s figures are 79.1 and 83.0. Lowestoft grades C− for health: life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, early deaths, hospital admissions, child obesity and Census health, each adjusted for age.
What stands out about health in Lowestoft
A 9-year gap from one part of Lowestoft to another
Men in Oulton Broad West can expect to live to 81.8, longer than the English average of 79.1. In Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley, 1.6 miles away, the figure is 72.6, and Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley records 206 deaths under 75 for every 100 expected for its ages. For women the range is 76.2 in Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley to 85.4 in Oulton Broad West. Neighbourhoods ↓
NHS dentists are harder to get than in most of England
Of adults in the Norfolk and Suffolk area who tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years, 76% succeeded; across England it was 82%. Dentists ↓
More of Lowestoft’s children are obese
23% of Year 6 children (aged 10 to 11) were measured as obese over the last three school years, against 22.3% across England; more than in 78% of UK towns. Health Grade ↓
More patients are seen within four hours than across England, but 12-hour waits for a bed are commoner
James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the A&E at James Paget Hospital, saw 65% of major-A&E patients within four hours in the 12 months to September 2026, against 61% across England: 31st of 117 trusts. 23% of patients admitted through its A&Es waited more than 12 hours from the decision to admit, against 13% in England. A&E ↓
Written from the OHID, NHS England and GP Patient Survey figures on this page. Life expectancy covers 2019 to 2023; neighbourhoods are ONS middle-layer areas of about 8,000 people.
Lowestoft grades C− for health
Healthier than 17% of UK towns, on age-adjusted measures.
Behind the typical UK town on every measure. Even its strongest, emergency admissions and child obesity, are in the bottom 50% of UK towns; deaths under 75 and preventable deaths are furthest behind. Among the 118 UK towns of 50,000 to 96,000 people, Lowestoft’s Health Grade is the 66th highest.
Each measure is ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more, the ranks are averaged, and the average is ranked again. Every measure allows for the town’s ages: life expectancy is worked out from the death rate at each age, so it doesn’t depend on how old the town’s residents are; deaths and admissions are counted against what England’s rates would give a town with these ages, and the Census answers against England and Wales’s rates by single year of age, so a seaside town of retired people isn’t marked down for being old.
Men’s life expectancy across Lowestoft runs from 72.6 to 81.8
Life expectancy at birth, 2019–23, in Lowestoft’s 10 middle-layer neighbourhoods (about 8,000 people each). Circles are sized by residents and show men’s life expectancy.
The gap follows deprivation closely: Lowestoft Central, where 48% of residents are income-deprived, has men’s life expectancy of 74.2. Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley has the most deaths under 75 for its ages (206 per 100 expected), against 70 in Oulton Broad West.
Show every measure as a table
| Neighbourhood | Men | Women | Deaths under 75 | Emergency admissions | Year 6 obese | Income-deprived |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oulton Broad West | 81.8 | 85.4 | 70 | 72 | 17% | 11% |
| Carlton Colville | 81.8 | 82.9 | 81 | 74 | 20% | 19% |
| Pakefield South & Kessingland | 81.2 | 83.2 | 89 | 78 | 17% | 16% |
| Gunton East, Corton & Somerleyton | 79.3 | 84.5 | 78 | 74 | 22% | 10% |
| Oulton | 79.1 | 82.5 | 95 | 84 | 20% | 22% |
| Normanston & Oulton Broad East | 77.8 | 82.3 | 112 | 89 | 24% | 26% |
| Pakefield North | 76.6 | 79.6 | 145 | 97 | 28% | 35% |
| Gunton West | 75.3 | 79.4 | 157 | 101 | 26% | 43% |
| Lowestoft Central | 74.2 | 79.0 | 168 | 107 | 26% | 48% |
| Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley | 72.6 | 76.2 | 206 | 117 | 28% | 46% |
Deaths and admissions per 100 expected for each area’s ages (England = 100). Each figure has a range: Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley’s men’s life expectancy is 72.6 with a 95% range of 70.7 to 74.4. Neighbourhoods are ONS middle-layer areas at least 30% inside Lowestoft; names are the House of Commons Library’s.
James Paget University Hospitals saw 65% of major-A&E patients within four hours
Type 1 (major) A&E attendances seen, admitted or discharged within four hours of arrival, by month. NHS England publishes it by trust, not hospital: James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust runs the A&E at James Paget Hospital, the nearest to Lowestoft (6.3 mi).
The share seen within four hours rose from an average of 61% in April 2025 to September 2025 to 64% in the latest six months; England’s was 62%. Long waits for a bed are commoner than at 80% of trusts: 4,356 patients in 12 months, 23% of emergency admissions through A&E. CQC’s latest ratings for James Paget Hospital: urgent and emergency services good (2019), the hospital overall good (2026).
East of England trusts
Hospitals within 25 miles
| Distance | Hospital | CQC overall | Urgent & emergency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 mi | James Paget Hospital A&E Great Yarmouth · James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Good2026 | Good2019 |
| 22 mi | Colman Hospital Norwich · East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust | Not rated | — |
| 22 mi | Norwich Community Hospital Norwich · East of England Community Health and Care NHS Trust | Not rated | — |
| 23 mi | Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital A&E Norwich · Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Requires improvement2024 | Good2021 |
NHS acute hospitals registered with the Care Quality Commission (care directory, 01 October 2026). “A&E” marks a major (type 1) emergency department, open 24 hours and led by consultants, in NHS England’s Emergency Care Data Set; a hospital without the mark may still have a minor injury unit or urgent treatment centre. Ratings run Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement, Inadequate; the year is when each was published. Distances are straight lines from the town centre.
76% of adults in the Norfolk and Suffolk area who tried got an NHS dental appointment
Adults who tried to get an NHS dental appointment for themselves in the last two years, and got one. GP Patient Survey 2026, by integrated care system (the NHS area that plans dentistry for Lowestoft).
Across England 82% of those who tried got an appointment. Of Norfolk and Suffolk patients who did, 67% rated the experience good (England 74%). NHS practices taking new patients are listed on the NHS website’s Find a dentist; for urgent dental pain, call NHS 111.
The survey asks GP patients about dentistry, so results are published for health areas, not towns or practices.
Men’s life expectancy in Lowestoft is about what its level of deprivation predicts
Across 1,996 English towns of 2,500 or more, men’s life expectancy tracks income deprivation closely (correlation −0.81). Each dot is a town.
29% of Lowestoft’s residents are income-deprived, more than in most English towns. For that level, the line predicts 77.5 years for men; Lowestoft’s is 77.7. For women it predicts 81.6, and Lowestoft’s 81.2 is close to it.
Income deprivation: share of residents in low-income households, English Indices of Deprivation 2025, averaged over each town’s neighbourhoods. A town above or below the line isn’t necessarily doing better or worse on care: students, prisons and hostels inside a boundary all shift the figures.
Care in and near Lowestoft
The nearest A&E, the practice patients rate highest, and where to go when it’s urgent but not an emergency. In an emergency, call 999.
77% of patients rate Lowestoft’s 7 GP practices good
GP Patient Survey 2026 (NHS England, run by Ipsos), about 100 patients a practice, against 77% across England. 43rd of 103 English towns of 50,000 to 96,000, from the highest.
| Practice | Overall experience | Easy by phone | Wait about right | CQC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andaman Surgery NR33 9DF · 5,418 adult patients | 89% good · range 82%–93% | 82% | 86% | Good2022 |
| Rosedale Surgery NR33 8LG · 13,086 adult patients | 83% good · range 68%–92% | 44% | 61% | Good2018 |
| Kirkley Mill Surgery NR33 0HF · 6,075 adult patients | 82% good · range 75%–87% | 58% | 65% | Good2021 |
| Dr Morrison & Partners NR33 9LU · 8,865 adult patients | 81% good · range 69%–89% | 80% | 78% | Good2019 |
| Alexandra Road Surgery NR32 1PL · 12,548 adult patients | 74% good · range 53%–88% | 67% | 73% | Good2024 |
| High Street Surgery NR32 1JE · 9,487 adult patients | 70% good · range 58%–80% | 57% | 77% | Good2026 |
| Dr Bouch and Partners NR32 3LJ · 10,158 adult patients | 67% good · range 53%–79% | 27% | 78% | Good2026 |
Andaman Surgery has the town’s highest rating (89%). You can register with any practice whose area covers your address.
GP Patient Survey 2026: surveys sent January to March 2026; results weighted by NHS England. The range is the 95% confidence interval. Adult patients: the survey’s practice population aged 16 and over. A practice counts as in Lowestoft when its main surgery is inside the built-up area; branch surgeries are part of their main practice. CQC ratings © Care Quality Commission.
Fewer people in Lowestoft call their health good than across Suffolk
Census 2021, all residents, as answered (not adjusted for age).
Adjusted for age, 119 report bad health for every 100 expected, more than the national rate.
Show as a table
| Census 2021 | Lowestoft | Suffolk | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good or very good health | 76% | 81% | 82% |
| Fair health | 16% | 14% | 13% |
| Bad or very bad health | 7.1% | 5% | 5.2% |
| Disabled under the Equality Act | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Day-to-day activities limited a lot | 10% | 7.4% | 7.4% |
Suffolk and England: all residents of their built-up areas (towns and cities), from the same Census 2021 output areas.
Lowestoft’s Health Grade is 66th of 118 UK towns of 50,000 to 96,000
Ordered by Health Grade: the top three, the towns either side of Lowestoft, and others in Suffolk. Life expectancy for men / women; deaths under 75 per 100 expected.
| # | Town | People | Life expectancy | Deaths under 75 | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wokingham Berkshire | 50,320 | 82.7 / 86.1 | 67 | A+ |
| 2 | St Albans Hertfordshire | 75,544 | 80.7 / 84.6 | 79 | A− |
| 3 | Horsham West Sussex | 50,211 | 81.5 / 84.8 | 77 | A− |
| … | |||||
| 64 | Cannock Staffordshire | 63,057 | 77.9 / 82.4 | 111 | C− |
| 65 | Lancaster Lancashire | 52,646 | 76.7 / 81.8 | 124 | C− |
| 66 | Lowestoft Suffolk | 71,308 | 77.7 / 81.2 | 125 | C− |
| 67 | Wellingborough Northamptonshire | 54,421 | 78.0 / 81.8 | 122 | C− |
| 68 | East Kilbride South Lanarkshire | 76,626 | 77.6 / 82.2 | — | C− |
| … | |||||
| 118 | Bootle Merseyside | 53,722 | 74.2 / 78.3 | 173 | D− |
Health letters rank against every UK town of 1,000 or more; the order here is context only. Welsh towns are graded on life expectancy, healthy life expectancy and the two Census measures: OHID’s early-death, admissions and child-obesity figures cover England.
Health in the places around Lowestoft
Life expectancy for men / women, and the nearest A&E. Tap a town for its health page.
| Town | People | Life expectancy | Nearest A&E | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowestoft | 71,308 | 77.7 / 81.2 | 6.3 mi | C− |
| Corton | 1,134 | 79.3 / 84.5 | 3.3 mi | B− |
| Kessingland | 4,242 | 81.2 / 83.2 | 9.8 mi | C+ |
| Hopton on Sea | 2,575 | 79.3 / 83.3 | 1.6 mi | C |
| Worlingham | 3,618 | 81.9 / 85.8 | 9.5 mi | B+ |
| Beccles | 9,807 | 79.8 / 84.0 | 9.9 mi | C |
| Gorleston-on-Sea | 24,474 | 77.4 / 82.0 | 0.8 mi | D |
| Belton | 3,603 | 78.8 / 82.5 | 2.5 mi | C |
Worlingham, 5.8 miles away, has men’s life expectancy of 81.9, 4.2 years longer than Lowestoft’s.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- A&E figures are for the trust. NHS England publishes four-hour waits by trust, not hospital, so James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s figures cover every major A&E it runs. They count type 1 (major) departments; minor injury units and urgent treatment centres are left out, which is why they sit below the all-types figure NHS England headlines (75% for England).
- The GP survey is a survey. About 100 patients answer for each practice, so a practice’s figure has a range (shown in the table); small differences between practices aren’t meaningful. The town figure weights each practice by its adult patients, some of whom live outside Lowestoft.
- Adjusted for age. A ratio of 100 means as many deaths, admissions or reports of bad health as England’s rates (England and Wales’s for the Census) would give a town with these ages; 120 means a fifth more.
- Small areas, summed to the town. OHID publishes these figures for middle-layer areas of about 8,000 people; the town’s figure averages the areas it covers, weighted by how many of their residents live in it, so a village shares its area’s figure with the countryside around it.
- Different years. Life expectancy and deaths cover 2019 to 2023; emergency admissions 2016/17 to 2020/21 (the latest OHID publishes for small areas, including the pandemic dip); child obesity the three school years to 2024/25; A&E the 12 months to September 2026; the GP Patient Survey early 2026; CQC ratings were published on different dates, shown in each row.
- Distances are straight lines. Miles are measured from the town’s centre to each site; the road is longer. For an emergency, call 999; for urgent advice, call NHS 111.
Questions about health in Lowestoft
How healthy is Lowestoft?
Lowestoft earns a C− for health, healthier than 17% of UK towns on measures adjusted for age, and 66th of 118 UK towns of its size. Life expectancy is 77.7 for men and 81.2 for women (England 79.1 and 83.0), and there are 125 deaths under 75 for every 100 expected.
Which parts of Lowestoft have the highest life expectancy?
For men, Oulton Broad West (81.8), Carlton Colville (81.8) and Pakefield South & Kessingland (81.2); the shortest is Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley (72.6). For women, Oulton Broad West is highest (85.4) and Lowestoft Harbour & Kirkley lowest (76.2). OHID figures for 2019 to 2023, by neighbourhood of about 8,000 people.
How long are A&E waits at James Paget Hospital?
NHS England publishes waits for the trust, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. In the 12 months to September 2026 it saw 65% of major-A&E patients within four hours, against 61% across England; in September 2026 the figure was 59%. In an emergency call 999; for urgent advice call NHS 111.
Can I get an NHS dentist in Lowestoft?
It is harder than in most of England. In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, 76% of adults in the Norfolk and Suffolk area who tried to get an NHS dental appointment in the last two years got one, against 82% across England. Practices taking new NHS patients are listed on the NHS website’s Find a dentist service.
Which GP practice in Lowestoft do patients rate highest?
In the 2026 GP Patient Survey, Andaman Surgery (89% good overall), Rosedale Surgery (83% good overall) and Kirkley Mill Surgery (82% good overall). Across all 7 Lowestoft practices, 77% of patients rate their practice good, against 77% in England.
What is the life expectancy in Lowestoft?
77.7 years for men and 81.2 for women, on OHID’s figures for 2019 to 2023. Men can expect 61.7 of those years and women 62.4 in good health.
CQC ratings © Care Quality Commission.
Sources: OHID Fingertips small-area indicators (life expectancy and deaths 2019–23, emergency admissions 2016/17–2020/21, NCMP 2022/23–2024/25); House of Commons Library MSOA names · ONS health state life expectancy for small areas (MSOAs), England and Wales, 2019 to 2023 (healthy life expectancy) · ONS Census 2021 general health and disability, adjusted for age · Care Quality Commission care directory and latest ratings, 01 October 2026 · NHS Organisation Data Service · GP Patient Survey 2026 (NHS England, run by Ipsos) · NHS England, A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions (monthly, by trust) and Emergency Care Data Set activity by site, June–September 2026 (type 1 A&Es) · MHCLG English Indices of Deprivation 2025 · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.