Health Hazards: Temperature
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help protect vulnerable people from heatwave-related illness.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) supports partner organisations to prepare for periods of hot weather through its Adverse Weather and Health Plan and associated resources, including Heat-Health guidance and checklists for those supporting the vulnerable.
As periods of hot weather approach, the UKHSA and the Met Office jointly assess risks to health and issue Heat-Health Alerts based on this assessment. These alerts trigger enhanced communications to support partner organisations and the public to take action to minimise health harms and to look out for the vulnerable.
The Adverse Weather and Health Plan and further information on Heat-Heath Alerts are available on the GOV.UK website, at the following two links:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-weather-and-health-plan
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/weather-health-alerting-system
UKHSA public-facing communications also reinforce who is particularly vulnerable to health impacts of heat and why, and what action they should take. Further information is available at the following two links:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/heat-summary-supporting-vulnerable-people-for-all-users
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/beat-the-heat-advice-for-hot-weather
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