MP highlights heatwave dangers

South Shropshire MP Philip Dunne has highlighted the dangers of heatwaves to vulnerable people, as hot weather across the UK looks set to continue.

Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee has published its report into ‘Heatwaves: adapting to climate change’. The Committee has found that failing to address the danger of heatwaves will threaten the wellbeing of an increasing number of vulnerable people, with heat-related deaths set to treble by 2050 unless the Government acts on dangers.

Philip Dunne MP, a member of the Environmental Audit Committee, commented today on publication of the committee’s report into Heatwaves:

“When we launched the enquiry into Heatwaves some months ago, little did we realise how topical it would be, as we publish our report today in the midst of the longest heatwave the UK has experienced in years.

Learning to adapt to greater extremes of weather is something we are all going to have to do. There is a significant role for Government in helping people prepare to live with hotter summers and hot weather coming earlier in the year than we have become accustomed.”

The Committee has called on the Government to:

1.      Ensure NHS England issues guidance on planning for summer pressures, to ensure that adequate steps are taken to prepare the NHS for more frequent heatwaves. NHS organisations should submit annual heatwave plans to ensure they are prepared for the sudden onset of a heatwave;

2.      Inspect resilience to heatwaves in hospitals and care homes through the Care Quality Commission and NHS England;

3.      Protect peoples’ health by changing building regulations to prevent overheating;

4.      Review the capacity of local authorities to deliver climate change resilience, require them to report on their adaptation to climate change and introduce an urban green infrastructure target for cities;

5.      Introduce stricter water efficiency standards as part of the building regulations; 

6.      Coordinate a study of vulnerability to heat-health risks on transport and how this contributes to economic loss during heatwaves;

7.      Make businesses aware of the threat of heatwaves and the economic consequences. Public Health England should also issue formal guidance to employers to relax dress codes and allow flexible working during heatwaves, and the Government should consult on introducing maximum workplace temperatures, especially for work that involves significant physical effort;

8.      Issue guidance for head teachers about safe temperatures in schools and relaxing school uniform policy during hot weather;

9.      Launch a public information campaign on the growing frequency and intensity of heatwaves and run a year-round heatwave alert system to warn vulnerable people about the health risks; and

10.  Provide a Ministerial lead in the Department of Health and Social Care with responsibility for climate change related health risks.

Advice on how to cope in a heatwave is available at www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/