last updated 26th May 05
By 4ecotips

Non-decent homes contribute to ill health

A unique project that uses GP surgeries to promote energy saving home improvements has proved a hit with patients.

The Kidsgrove project, co-ordinated by Beat the Cold, has been helping vulnerable GP patients improve their homes and their health with vital energy efficiency measures.

Helen Bird, Project Co-ordinator, said: “ Many people don’t realise that their homes may be contributing to their ill health. The Kidsgrove Project aims to make people aware of the links between poor health and poor living conditions and improve both.”

The project worked with GP practices identifying 282 patients who were at risk of coronary heart disease or suffering from arthritis, asthma or other respiratory illness. Each patient was then offered a home visit from a trained energy advisor to help them understand the health risks associated with cold homes, offer simple energy efficiency advice and provide access to grant schemes to install energy saving measures, such as cavity wall and loft insulation.

In total the Kidsgrove project has clocked up 56 home visits to vulnerable patients, 13 referrals to Age Concern for benefit and services checks, one referral to the Pension Service to improve a client’s income and, with the support of Newcastle Borough Council, Warm Front and fuel companies’ grant schemes, 82 insulation measures installed in clients’ homes.

Trevor Hughes, advice `and information officer at Age Concern, said: “Age Concern has worked closely with Beat the Cold on the Kidsgrove Project achieving large benefit increases from £40 per week for the referred clients, as well as improving the living standards of older people within the Kidsgrove area.

“This has resulted in referrals to other agencies to further improve the clients general well-being and increase their chances of remaining independent.”

With cold, damp homes linked to heart disease, strokes and respiratory illnesses - such as asthma and bronchitis - a warm home is vital. Treatment of cold-related illnesses such as asthma and circulatory and respiratory disorders is estimated to cost the NHS more than £1 billion a year.

In some cases the effects of cold homes can be fatal. The most recent set of figures available for Winter 2002/03 show there were 60 excess winter deaths in Newcastle-under-Lyme alone.Half of all excess winter deaths are due to cardiovascular disease and a third are due to respiratory diseases.

The Kidsgrove project was made possible by funding from Newcastle Borough Council and national gas and electricity supplier npower, through their Health Through Warmth Community Project Grant scheme. The scheme supports innovative energy efficiency projects and is co-ordinated by energy efficiency charity NEA.