The Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) has called on the next Prime Minister to make tackling climate change a priority of the new government
Dr Matt Lee, DAUK sustainability lead, warned that heatwaves, like the one the country is currently experiencing, were causing harm to patients and healthcare workers.
He said that without immediate and urgent action, the situation would only get worse in the future.
Dr Lee said: “A failure of the new Prime Minister to put the climate at the front and centre of public policy would immediately demonstrate their lack of understanding of the situation we are in.
Heatwave
“This heatwave is in the most stable climate we will experience.
“And yet this week people will die, healthcare workers and their patients will suffer, and all because of the failure of leaders and governments to tackle climate change.
“We urge the new Prime Minister not to be the latest to let down current and future generations.”
The call comes as the country experiences another period of extreme heat.
Record temperatures
Last month, the UK recorded its hottest May day ever, with temperatures reaching 35.1°C.
Forecasters expect June records to be challenged or exceeded during the current heatwave.
And scientists and the Met Office have warned that temperatures of 45C in the UK could happen in the coming decades as climate change intensifies.
Climate change
Dr Lee said that healthcare professionals are seeing the consequences of climate change.
Extreme heat places additional pressure on NHS services, increases hospital admissions, worsens existing health conditions and disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including older people, young children and those living in poverty.
Dr Lee said: “The science is clear, the impacts are already being felt, and the cost of delay continues to rise. If the new Prime Minister cares about health, the economy, national security, or tackling inequalities, then the focus of their government absolutely has to be on tackling climate change.”
Our Health, Our Planet
Dr Lee is a driving force behind DAUK’s website Our Health, Our Planet.
Our Health, Our Planet is full of information aimed at keeping people safe during extreme weather events.
It is the ultimate guide to the relationship between climate change and human health, particularly focussing on the health effects to the UK population.
National Emergency Briefing
And DAUK has been encouraging healthcare professionals and organisations across the UK to take action on the climate crisis by hosting their own screenings of the National Emergency Briefing (NEB) film.
The film – the People’s Emergency Briefing – is a public information initiative to ensure the UK is fully briefed on the climate and nature crisis.
It presents the national implications of climate and nature breakdown – along with credible, positive responses – and has been designed for screening in communities across the UK.
We’ve brought together a list of the confirmed screenings.
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