Engineering: The view from Westminster – political roundup

A new report was commissioned by the Department of Health on the possible impact of climate change on public health.

The report was an update of the Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK, previously written in 2001.

Both the report and the update was written to help the health sector effectively plan the development of services to meet the needs of the population for now and the future. It also highlights areas where more research is needed.

The main findings of the report mention that there’s a one in 40 chance that by 2012 south-eastern England will have experienced a serious heatwave. Periods of very cold weather will become less common, while periods of very hot weather will become more common. Winter deaths will continue to decline as the climate warms, but there is an increased risk of flooding.

The report also states that tick-borne diseases are to be more common in the UK, more likely due to a change in land use and leisure activities than to climate change.

Increased exposure to sunshine and ultra violet light will lead to an increase in skin cancers.

However, the UK population seems to be adapting to increasingly warm conditions, the report concludes.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said: "Climate change poses great challenges and it is important to plan ahead for the health consequences. Actions are being taken across the UK Government and the NHS to reduce emissions contributing to climate change. We are at the forefront of preparing for climate change - the UK's Climate Change Bill is the first legislation of its kind in the world, establishing a long term legal framework to underpin our contribution to tackling climate change, by putting in place a clear and credible emissions reduction pathway to a statutory goal of a 60 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

"Mandatory targets for energy efficiency for the public sector are being set and work is continuing across the NHS at a regional and local level to mitigate the projected impacts of climate change,” she added.

In January, the government announced a £100 million Energy and Sustainability Capital Fund to assist the NHS to meet the target of 15 per cent or 0.15 million tonnes carbon efficiency saving between 2000 and 2010, among other climate change initiatives including the National Heatwave Plan of 2004, inspired by the 2003 heatwave in Europe.

One of the authors of the report, Professor Robert Maynard from the Health Protection Agency, said: “The present scientific consensus is that the climate is changing and that human activity is contributing significantly to this. We have to prepare for the consequences and consider the possible health impacts.

“Some aspects are positive, for example there are likely to be fewer deaths due to cold weather, but others are potentially negative, including increases in food poisoning and dangers from both floods and droughts."

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