‘Rise in deaths’ predicted as amber cold health alerts issued in northern England

Amber cold health alerts have been issued for Northern England, with low temperatures predicted to cause a “rise in deaths” among vulnerable and elderly people.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued two amber warnings for north-east and north-west England, which will be in place between 8pm on Sunday until midday on Monday 5 January.The agency warned that expected low temperatures would probably result in the increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and could lead to a rise in the number of deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or those with pre-existing health conditions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.Vulnerable younger people and those sleeping rough may also be affected.Temperatures inside buildings such as hospitals, care homes and clinics are predicted to drop and it will be challenging for people to keep indoor temperatures at the recommended level of 18C, leading to more risk to vulnerable individuals, the agency warned.All other regions in England will be under a less serious yellow alert for this period, indicating that there is still potential for a significant impact on the health services in these regions.The agency also warned of staffing issues owing to external factors such as travel delays and said infrastructure sectors, such as transport and energy, could be affected.The Met Office forecast that most of England will be cloudy overnight, and there will be patches of frost and fog also, bringing “tricky travelling conditions” on Monday morning.Temperatures are expected to fall to as low as -1C overnight in Penrith and hover around 0C in areas of the Lake District where the amber cold health alert is in place, while temperatures in northern areas of Scotland will fall further, to -6C or -7C.There will be a “brisk northerly breeze” along the north-east coast of England.Dr Agostinho Sousa, the head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, recommended checking on friends, family and neighbours as cold weather sets in.“The forecasted temperatures can have a serious impact on the health of some people, leading to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, particularly for individuals over the age of 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions,” he said.