A person is considered to have a disability if they have a long-standing illness or impairment which causes substantial difficulty with day-to-day activities.

Some people may be classified as disabled and have rights under the Equality Act 2010 but aren't captured by this definition. Such people may have a long-standing illness or disability which isn't currently affecting their day-today activities.

Both physical and mental disabilities can lead to health inequalities due to the barriers they can present to accessing treatment. 

The Census asks people whether they have a long term illness or disability. This information gives an insight for the people of Greenwich into how good someone's self-reported health is, and the potential demand for care.

The majority of Greenwich's population (83.3%) reported to have good or very good health, compared to 81.4% nationally in the 2011 census. 84.3% of Greenwich's population reported no disabilities, compared to 82.4% nationally.

Among those who reported having a long term illness or disability that limited their day to day activities a lot (7.5% in Greenwich, compared to 8.3% nationally), the highest levels were seen in Eltham West ward (10.1%) and lowest level in Greenwich West ward at 5.2%.

Comparing all people who report having a disability which limits their day to day activities a lot, a higher proportion are of working aged people (16-64 years) in Greenwich (52.7%) compared to England as a whole (43.7%). There is also significant variation within Greenwich with  63.1% of those living in Woolwich Riverside ward being of working age (16-64 years), compared to 38.8% of those living in Eltham North ward. 

The next Census is due in 2021 with findings available from 2022.