Health and wellbeing

Climate change could have significant implications for the health and wellbeing of the UK population. There are implications for public health, the continuity of health and social care services both within the NHS and beyond, the resilience of local emergency services and the impact on the most socially vulnerable. Although there may be some extremely welcome benefits, these are projected to be outweighed overall by a range of negative effects.

Impacts

• Increased summer temperatures may lead to increased risk of mortality and morbidity due to heat
• Increased flooding would increase the risk of deaths, injuries and people suffering from mental health effects as a result of the impacts of flooding
• Increased ozone levels by the end of the century could lead to an increased risk of mortality and respiratory hospital admissions
• Increased summer temperatures combined with increased periods of time spent outdoors may lead to an increased risk in the number of skin cancer cases and deaths
• Increased temperatures and changed rainfall patterns may lead to an increased health risk from water, vector and food borne diseases
• Increased sea temperatures may lead to increased marine pathogens and harmful algae blooms with a consequent negative effect on human health

Benefits

• Increased winter temperatures may lead to decreased levels of mortality and morbidity due to cold
• Increased summer temperatures combined with increased periods of time spent outdoors could increase vitamin D levels and help to improve physical and mental health of people.

In developing the National Adaptation Programme we want to work collaboratively with wider stakeholders to consider our collective response to these risks and opportunities.

Questions

1. Do you feel that your organisation understands how future climate and weather risks may (or may not) affect its performance? Is this a problem?
2. In your organisation, what do you feel is the most urgent action needed to adapt to the risks identified in the CCRA? You can also include international climate impacts feeding through to the UK where you think these relevant.
3. If you think that your organisation needs to do more to adapt, what is stopping you?  To what extent do you think your organisation/sector can do what is needed without Government intervention?
4. Do you have examples of innovative ways of assessing your resilience or adapting to our current and future climate, which you would be happy for us to share with similar organisations and sectors?
5. Is your organisation aware of any potential opportunities presented by climate change? What is your organisation doing to make the most of any opportunities?  Please also cover any opportunities arising from international climate impacts.

Comments

1. Bob says:

   16 February, 2012 at 10:17 pm

   We are starting with our employees – making it as easy as possible for them to lead a healthy lifestyle. Showers and changing facilities with areas to lock bikes are an example. Promoting car share schemes, encouraging frequent breaks. You can’t force people to be healthy and green but we are trying to make it the easy option.

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2. Sarah Curtis, Katie Oven and Jonathan Wistow (Durham University) says:

   15 March, 2012 at 6:56 pm

   It is now recognized that in addition to efforts to limit the impact of future climate change, we also need to plan the best ways to adapt and build resilience to climate changes that seem to be inevitable.

   The impacts of climate change on population health (especially for ‘vulnerable’ groups such as children, older people and people already in poor health) have been widely studied. However, less consideration has been given to the potential impact of climate change on the infrastructures and systems supporting health and social care delivery and how we might adapt these systems to respond to a changing climate.

   BIOPICCC (Built Infrastructure for Older People’s Care in Conditions of Climate Change) is a multidisciplinary study tasked with developing strategies to help to ensure that the infrastructures and systems supporting older people’s health and social care are sufficiently resilient to withstand the potentially harmful impacts of climate change in the future, up to 2050. It is very important to understand what buildings, roads and pathways, and utilities people rely on, for example, and how extreme weather may affect these.

   The study has highlighted the importance of co-ordinated action between different partners (Adult health and social care, emergency planning, the voluntary sectors etc.) and at different levels of governance (from the local to the national). It is essential to embed strategies for climate change adaptation across service delivery and infrastructure planning, whilst placing service users and the general public at the centre of the decision-making process. Budget cuts, changes in the structure of the NHS and public health, and the localism agenda, present a series of challenges and opportunities for climate change adaptation.

   We aim to contribute to information and guidance for local agencies and communities to support the process of adaptation and capacity building at local level. Local case study research is showing us that adaption strategies need to be adjusted to fit with local conditions. National directives do not provide a detailed ‘blue print’ for local action; at the local level it may be necessary to plan and carry out innovative action that will be best fitted to conditions on the ground. Exchanging local experiences can also help to build better practice across the country.

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