The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber Cold-Health Alert (CHA) for the Yorkshire and Humber, North West and North East regions of England.
All other regions in England will be under a yellow alert until 8am on Saturday 22 November.
Expected low temperatures are likely to result in increased use of health care services by vulnerable people and an increase in risk to health for individuals aged 65 years and over, those with pre-existing health conditions (including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases) and some other vulnerable groups, such as those sleeping rough.
UKHSA has published guidance for professionals protecting vulnerable people and for the public on staying safe during periods of cold weather.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said:
“This is the first prolonged cold spell of the season, and it is therefore vital to check in on friends, family and neighbours that are most vulnerable.
“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.”
Under the Weather Health Alerting system introduced by UKHSA and the Met Office, an amber Cold-Health Alert means that cold weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service for an extended period of time, with potential for the whole population to be at risk.
