Responding to the publication of the first annual surveillance reports on the impact of cold weather on mortality and morbidity in Wales, published today by Public Health Wales, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, said:
“The publication of the first annual surveillance reports examining the impact of cold weather on mortality and morbidity represents a significant and positive step forward in strengthening our understanding of how cold weather affects people’s health and wellbeing.
“However, it is important to recognise the deeply concerning reality behind the figures in this report: cold weather continues to have a profound impact on the health, independence and quality of life of many older people across Wales – exacerbated by cold, damp housing, fuel poverty and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis – with some individuals paying the ultimate price.
“Addressing these issues must remain a national priority, including taking sustained action to improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes across Wales, ensuring that older people can live in warmth and safety.
“Having robust, consistent data will be vital to support this, enabling trends to be tracked over time and for interventions to be measured and evaluated in terms of their effectiveness to ensure action is informed by clear evidence.
“But alongside this, there is a clear need to strengthen the financial support available to older people experiencing hardship, to ensure no-one finds themselves having to choose between ‘heating and eating’ – a decision that too many older people are still forced to make.
“That’s why I’m continuing to call on the Welsh Government to introduce a dedicated Resilience Fund for older people who are in severe financial difficulty but are not eligible for Pension Credit or other forms of financial assistance, so that no one is left without support during the coldest months of the year.
“Our focus may currently be on record-breaking temperatures, but today’s report provides an important reminder of why we need to take action now to tackle the unacceptable costs that cold homes and fuel poverty have on individuals, as well as society more widely, and ensure that older people are able to live well, safely and with dignity throughout the year.”
ENDS
Read the reports from Public Health Wales
