Health and social care responses to the Department of Health Heatwave Plan

Abstract

Background: The increasing risk of heatwaves in England poses a particular threat to the health of elderly people. A National Heatwave Plan has been produced to ensure that adaptation plans are established. The objective was to explore the perceptions of frontline statutory and voluntary sector staff on the feasibility of implementing the Heatwave Plan for elderly people in the community.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 109 health, social care and voluntary staff from three London Boroughs.

Results: Few frontline staff were aware of the Plan. Most respondents did not perceive heatwaves to be a sufficiently frequent event to require prioritization within their routine summer workloads. They highlighted the complexities associated with defining vulnerability and identifying vulnerable individuals as well as barriers to implementation of the Plan. Respondents suggested a multi-faceted approach to interventions including a public health campaign, community engagement and increasing the responsiveness of statutory services.

Conclusion: The issues highlighted could hinder effective implementation of the Heatwave Plan. Ensuring continuity of care so that timely information can be recorded and disseminated may address the problems associated with shifting vulnerability. Best practice with respect to inter-sectoral collaboration should be identified and innovative multi-faceted interventions should be designed and evaluated.