The climate emergency is a health emergency. Climate change threatens the foundations of good health, with direct and immediate consequences for our patients, the public and the NHS.

The situation is getting worse, with 9 out of the 10 hottest years on record occurring in the last decade and more than 2,500 people killed by heatwaves across the UK in 2020.

Without accelerated action there will be increases in the intensity of heatwaves, more frequent storms and flooding, and increased spread of infectious diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis and vibriosis.

Impact of climate change on health services

Climate change is already affecting the NHS through more frequent flooding, heatwaves, and worsening air pollution. During summer 2022’s record breaking temperatures, England experienced an estimated 2,803 excess deaths.

Without adaptation, climate change will:

• disrupt health services through extreme weather events
• affect critical infrastructure (water, energy, transport)
• create challenging conditions in hospitals (for example overheating)
• negatively impact health workers and patients

Improving health by tackling climate change

Since 2010, the NHS has reduced its emissions by 30%, (NHS Carbon Footprint) exceeding its commitments under the Climate Change Act.

In doing so, we have learnt that many of the actions needed to tackle climate change directly improve patient care and health and wellbeing.

This is because many of the drivers of climate change are also the drivers of ill health and health inequalities. For example, the combustion of fossil fuels is the primary contributor to ill-health from air pollution.

Best estimates suggest that over one-third of new asthma cases might be avoided because of efforts to cut carbon emissions.