Reducing Heat-related Illness in Vulnerable Urban Populations-Preventing avoidable demand on the healthcare system during summer heatwaves
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Authors
Yijing Li
Dr Gerald Power
Ms Georgia Faid
Ms Jedidah Onchere
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Issue Date
06-May-26
Type
Conference Abstract
Language
Keywords
Neighbourhood health & place-based working
Alternative Title
Abstract
This project builds on insights and findings from work done in the London Borough of Lambeth in the summer of 2025 which recruited a cohort of 63 vulnerable households and worked with a range of community based Voluntary and Charity Sector (VCS) partners to test the use of simple low-cost equipment to mitigate the effects of extreme heat. In 2026, the work will scale up to focus on a single cohort, those over 65 years of age and in particular those with high vulnerability and limited adaptive capacity due to impaired physical or cognitive capacity. The aim is to work with a cohort of very vulnerable residents, the service providers that currently support them and the wider community to establish practical approaches to heat mitigation that can be highly targeted and implemented at scale; build a financial case targeted interventions based on outcome and benefit mapping; and to improve how coping with extreme heat is integrated into care provided at home, so to reduce avoidable contact with the healthcare system.