Protecting Health from Adverse Heat

Our Mission: Guidance, Evidence, and Adaptation

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is the national body responsible for protecting the public from health threats such as infectious diseases, environmental hazards, and health emergencies. Their role is to provide timely, actionable guidance to professionals—helping organisations prepare for, and respond to, severe weather events. The updated Extreme Weather Health Plan forms a key part of our commitment under the national adaptation programme. Its aim is simple but vital: support local and national bodies in facing a range of weather hazards, including heatwaves, flooding, storms, and thunderstorms.

A single, integrated plan ensures we address these challenges collectively. Coordination is essential—multiple organisations, government departments, and local teams work together to keep communities safe.

Real-World Impact: Research and Evidence

Recent years have brought significant advances in how we monitor and respond to heat-related health risks. Since 2016, they have published annual reports on heat-associated mortality, using both official statistics and our own surveillance systems. These reports help us understand not just the overall trends, but also where and how deaths occur—whether in care homes, hospitals, or people’s own homes.

For the first time, they have also analysed data by place of death and subregional geography. Interestingly, areas like Cleveland in the Northeast, with high deprivation and chronic illness, saw the highest mortality rates, even when temperatures were not the highest. This highlights that vulnerability is driven by more than just heat—social factors and underlying health conditions play a major role.

Lessons from the Data: Preparedness and Behaviour Matter

Their research shows that heat-related deaths can occur even in relatively cool summers. In 2024, despite fewer heatwave days, over 1,000 deaths were recorded. Sometimes, actual deaths exceeded what our statistical models predicted—possibly because people were less prepared early in the season. In contrast, during record-breaking heat, high public awareness and prompt action (triggered by heat alerts) may have helped reduce deaths.

This underscores the importance of:

• Early and widespread communication

• Tailored guidance for different settings (care homes, hospitals, housing)

• Supporting vulnerable populations through both emergency response and long-term adaptation

Beyond Emergency Response: Building a Healthier Future

Most heat-related deaths happen at moderate temperatures, below traditional emergency thresholds. This means the strategy must go beyond crisis response. We need to adapt housing and the built environment to protect health—especially as climate risks grow.

Their ongoing evaluation shows that risk rises sharply at extreme temperatures, but the greatest burden is at more moderate levels. Effective adaptation includes:

• Improving housing standards for heat resilient

• Strengthening local resilience plans

• Continuing research to refine our interventions

Bridging Research and Policy: Navigating the Policy Landscape with Dr. Sarah Robinson, DESNZ

How can cutting-edge research meaningfully shape UK policy in the fight against climate change and for public health? Dr. Sarah Robinson, from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), recently shared her insights on this crucial topic.

Introduction: Research Meets Policy

As the UK intensifies its efforts to reduce emissions and address climate change, the spotlight increasingly falls on the intersection between environmental impact and public health. Dr. Robinson, part of the energy research team at DESNZ, plays a unique role in ensuring that robust research informs policy decisions across government.

Her team operates at the interface of science, innovation, and policy, providing leadership and technical advice to DESNZ and collaborating closely with other departments such as DEFRA, DIT, the Environment Agency, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Their remit covers everything from low-carbon retrofit opportunities to the resilience of the UK’s building stock and energy systems.

The Scope: Building Resilience into the UK’s Built Environment

The energy research team’s work is broad but focused on resilience and whole-system thinking. They address:

·        Building retrofit and demand reduction

·        Adaptation and resilience of buildings and energy systems

·        Industrial decarbonisation and lifecycle assessments

·        Opportunities in energy systems and embodied carbon

Their mission is to ensure policy is proactive, resilient, and evidence-based, moving beyond siloed objectives to consider the wider government agenda.

Why Bridging the Gap Matters

Dr. Robinson’s team doesn’t write policy themselves. Instead, they bridge the gap between the research community (academia and industry) and policymakers. By translating research outputs into actionable insights, they help create policies that are less reactive and more future-proof.

A key focus right now is the risk from extreme heat—an issue that impacts not just energy demand and infrastructure, but also public health. The Climate Change Act 2008 mandates the government to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. In practice, this means responding to the Climate Change Committee’s risk assessments and shaping programmes like the National Adaptation Programme.

Policy Landscape: Where Research Makes an Impact

Research on adaptation to extreme heat feeds into a range of policy areas, including:

• National Adaptation Programme (currently in its third cycle, with a fourth on the horizon)

• The Global Cooling Pledge (COP28)

• The Heat and Buildings Strategy

• Future Homes Standard 2025

• Cross-government missions on health, clean energy, and economic growth

These policies require robust evidence—metrics, indicators, and monitoring tools—to track progress and adapt strategies as new challenges emerge.

A New Approach: Working Backwards from Outcomes

One of the biggest challenges is aligning the outputs of academic research with the needs of policymakers. Dr. Robinson advocates for a “theory of change” approach:

• Start with the desired outcome (e.g., a UK building stock resilient to future climate hazards)

• Identify the policy outputs needed to achieve that outcome

• Work backwards to frame the right research questions

• Feed these questions into research agendas, ensuring outputs are timely and relevant

This approach requires ongoing engagement and multidisciplinary collaboration. Regular dialogue between researchers and policymakers ensures that emerging evidence can be quickly translated into action.

Key Questions for the Future

To make progress, Dr. Robinson highlights several pressing questions:

• What metrics and indicators can effectively track adaptation to extreme heat?

• How can we assess the cost-effectiveness and co-benefits of different adaptation solutions?

• How do we ensure that research outputs are aligned with policy timelines and priorities?

These are the types of questions her team receives from policymakers and then explores with the research community.

Conclusion: Engagement is Key

Dr. Robinson’s message is clear: successful policy is built on strong, ongoing engagement between researchers and policymakers. By working together, the UK can ensure its policies are robust, future-focused, and able to meet the challenges of a changing climate.