This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Flooding and heat waves could threaten health services
The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change has urged ministers to take action to ensure the NHS is prepared for extreme weather events.
In an open letter to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the alliance called on the government to be ‘properly prepared’ for dealing with the effects extreme weather such as flooding and heatwaves. It said: ‘More work is urgently needed to prepare the personnel, the systems and the facilities of the NHS, as well as other institutions involved in health care, for the implications of climate change.’
It said that only a minority of local health bodies have plans in place which ‘adequately prepare their organisation to respond to climate change’, pointing out that almost one in 10 healthcare buildings in England are currently operating in flood risk zones.
John Ashton, president of the Faculty of Public Health, said: " Ensuring that our NHS doesn't fail as a result of the threats we face is vital.
"The Zika virus epidemic in South America and the impact of heatwaves in Europe, including in the UK, clearly demonstrate the devastating effects that result when the public and the health systems they rely on are unprepared for and overwhelmed by new challenges.
"Let's not wait for disaster on this scale to strike the UK before we are properly prepared."
The newly formed UK Health Alliance on Climate Change includes the Royal College of Nursing, medical faculties, medical publications and doctors' organisations.
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