Summer heatwaves threatening health of up to 3 million older people

Around 3 million people aged 65 and above in the UK living in properties between 45 and 80 years old that are most likely to overheat are among the greatest at risk of becoming ill in the event of a summer heatwave, the Centre for Ageing Better is warning.  

There are also more than 3 million people aged 65 and above living with cardiovascular and respiratory conditions who are statistically more likely to have their health impacted by a heatwave.   

Research also shows that people from minority ethnic households, babies as well as people living in mobile homes or high-rise buildings are also at heightened risk during a heatwave.  

The UK is facing up to a future with warmer and warmer weather. Met Office figures show the UK had its warmest May and spring on record.  

The Centre for Ageing Better is calling for greater support for people to help make improvements to their home which might lower the risk of harm from a heatwave.   
  
More than 488,000 households headed by someone aged 65 and above report their home overheating during summer months while national surveys have found that 1.9 million (8%) of all households report at least one part of their home gets uncomfortably hot.  

Around one in six (15%) of all living rooms and one in five bedrooms (19%) in English homes overheat in summer. The risk of heatwaves, and subsequent numbers of heatwave-related deaths, are growing.   

There were more than 4,500 heat-related deaths estimated to have occurred in England in 2022 with projections indicating that the average number of heat-related deaths will triple within 30 years.   

Previous heatwaves in England have led to a significant rise in the number of deaths among older people.   

A heatwave in 2003 caused deaths among those aged over 75 living in London to increase by 59% while four days of heatwave in July 2022 led to more than 1,000 excess deaths for those aged over 65 in England.  

Heatwaves also place a significant strain on emergency services.   

Warm days cause an additional 12,000 hospital admissions a year. In the heatwave of 2022, the London Ambulance Service was receiving a 999 call every 13 seconds.   

One of the biggest challenges facing the UK in relation to heatwaves is the fact that our homes offer less protection compared to elsewhere in Europe.  In 30C heat, the temperature within a UK home will rise by five degrees within three hours - double the rate of heat gain in other parts of Europe.    

The Centre for Ageing Better believes that people need greater support in helping making improvements to their home which might make that property better suited to cope with extreme temperatures.   
  
Currently, more of taxpayers’ money is spent on maintaining the Houses of Parliament than for improvements on the rest of England’s 20 million privately rented and owner-occupied homes combined.   
  
The Centre for Ageing Better is calling for the establishment of a national network of local one-stop shops called Good Home Hubs which would offer advice on home repairs and adaptations including where to find trusted tradespeople, identifying what work needs to be done, how to finance repairs and improve energy efficiency.    

“Climate change and heatwaves are here to stay, but that does not mean that we should passively accept the damaging effects and assume increasing loss of life as inevitable.   

 “As a country we're experiencing more extreme heat on a more regular basis throughout summer months, and this is only going to intensify in the future. We need to do more in terms of prevention and preparation in readiness for our changing climate, our growing ageing population, and our faltering housing stock. Inaction is not an option.  

 "To help ensure that homes do not exacerbate the threat of heatwaves, we need a national housing strategy and a national network of Good Home Hubs to ensure people have better opportunities to improve their homes.”  

This article first appeared as an exclusive in The Big Issue earlier this week.