The UK is unprepared for rising temperatures due to climate change and must act now to develop a joined-up approach to protect the most vulnerable, says a new report by leading science and health organisations released today.
The Physiological Society and Faculty of Public Health are calling for the formation of a Heat Resilience Strategy that is focused on improving the understanding of how heat impacts vulnerable groups and improving the preparedness of the nation to deal with extreme temperatures.
Their latest report, ‘Red Alert: Developing a human-centred national Heat Resilience Strategy’ is being launched in the Houses of Parliament on Monday 20 November.
The length and frequency of extreme heat episodes in the UK are expected to intensify in the years ahead, as are the number of preventable heat-related deaths. In 2022, the UK experienced record-breaking temperatures of over 40°C, resulting in the Met Office issuing its first ‘red warning’ for extreme heat and the Government declaring a national emergency. During that summer alone, there were an estimated 2,985 excess deaths associated with five heat episodes in England, the highest number in any given year.
The UK Government needs to respond quickly to our changing climate and develop a human-centred heat response plan through a coordinated effort from national, devolved and local authorities, the NHS, research funders, businesses and individuals.
Heat related impacts occur mostly among vulnerable groups either due to reduced physiological capacity to cope with extreme temperatures or living and working in environments that are inappropriate for the rising temperatures. These vulnerable groups include older people, people who are pregnant, people with pre-existing health conditions or people who take certain medications, as well as those exposed to higher temperatures at work, or due to lack of shelter (such as people who experience homelessness). The report demonstrates the crucial need for this national strategy to be rooted in an understanding of how heat impacts the physiology of individuals, particularly these vulnerable groups.
To support and protect individuals and communities across the country, the new report makes four recommendations for the UK Government and devolved administrations to develop such a Heat Resilience Strategy:
- RESEARCH: Establish a Heat Adaptation Research Exchange Taskforce to tackle research gaps related to vulnerable groups and increase the speed of research translation into policy and action.
- BUILT ENVIRONMENT: Form a Human Centred Climate Adaption Design and Planning Institute to ensure the built environment uses thermally efficient design principles.
- BUSINESSES: Employers must develop a physiologically-informed plan for workers during extreme heat events to protect health and safety, and Government should introduce statutory guidance on maximum temperatures for different levels of activity and types of Personal Protective Equipment worn.
- PUBLIC HEALTH: Expand early warning systems and coordinate a public health campaign to improve long term resilience and preparedness to extreme heat.
Writing in the foreword of the report, Julia King, Baroness Brown of Cambridge, Chair of Climate Change Committee’s Adaptation Committee and the Lords Science and Technology Committee, said:
“This report from The Physiological Society and the Faculty of Public Health is timely. It recognises that while progress has been made in some areas in response to extreme heat, we must go further to ensure that there is an integrated response across government and other responsible organisations that is grounded in an understanding of the human capacity to respond to extreme heat.
“Just as we need rapid, collective action to limit carbon emissions to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting warming to 1.5°C, we must also work together to adapt, to ensure that our response to more frequent and intense extreme weather events provides protection to those most vulnerable and most exposed to them. Putting physiology and human health at the heart of our response will be critical.”
Professor Mike Tipton, Professor of Human and Applied Physiology, University of Portsmouth, said:
“Climate change is here, and the UK is unprepared for the increased heat we are going to experience.
“As a nation we need to improve the resilience of our infrastructure and communities, as well as supporting individuals to prepare. That requires a comprehensive long-term solution that is rooted in an understanding of how increased heat impacts all aspects of a person’s physiology. This is particularly important for vulnerable groups such as pregnant and older people, who we know are at increased risk from rising temperatures.
“The four recommendations in this report for a National Heat Resilience Strategy coordinates activity across research, the built environment, business and public health.”
Dr Ana-Catarina Pinho-Gomes, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Public Health Medicine, UCL and Public Health Registrar said:
“Our ability to adapt to extreme heat is limited and the health impacts of rising temperatures are increasingly felt in the UK and across the globe, particularly amongst vulnerable populations.
“Public health complements physiology by understanding how heat vulnerability depends on complex interactions between individual and environmental factors. Our response to extreme heat needs to be multi-disciplinary and targeted to avoid exacerbating existing health inequalities. Working together we can mitigate the impacts of extreme heat and achieve the health co-benefits of climate action, for instance by promoting active travel and sustainable diets.
“A society in which everyone lives healthy, sustainable, and happy lives is possible – we just need the will to do so.”
Notes to editors:
The report is available to download here: www.physoc.org/heatresilience
Launch event:
The report will be launched in the Houses of Parliament on Monday 20 November as part of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee meeting taking place from 17:15 to 18:45 GMT
Interviews/comments
Interviews can be arranged through The Physiological Society:
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ewylde@physoc.org | press@physoc.org
The Physiological Society
The Physiological Society has been at the forefront of science for 150 years and is Europe’s largest network of physiologists. It supports physiologists by organising world-class conferences and offering grants for research and also publishes the latest developments in the field in its three leading scientific journals, The Journal of Physiology, Experimental Physiology and Physiological Reports. physoc.org
The Faculty of Public Health
The Faculty of Public Health is a membership organisation for over 5,000 public health professionals across the UK and around the world. They are a registered charity with the mission to improve health and wellbeing of local communities and national populations.