The winter season is a challenging time for the NHS with increasing demand on health service - even in moderately cold weather, where the mean daily temperature falls below 5°C¹.

The Department of Health estimated that in 2009 the annual costs to the NHS of treating winter-related diseases amounted to around £859 million².

The cold weather affects everyone but the most vulnerable people³ are likely to be visiting your pharmacy over the winter period and include people : 

• 65 or older
• On a low income (so can't afford heating)
• With a long-term health condition, such as heart, lung or kidney disease
• Are disabled
• Pregnant
• Have young children (newborn to school age)
• Have a mental health condition

Over the period October to April there are on average 64 days of moderately cold weather¹:

• Even in moderately cold weather illnesses and death rates increase
• An additional 1°C drop produces averagely 4% increase in death rates
• Visits to A&E decrease but percentage of those visitors admitted into hospital increases
• Average length of hospital stay increases –reducing the flexibility of hospitals to support any additional increase in demand 

Direct health effects of winter weather include an increase in incidence of:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Respiratory disease
• Influenza
• Falls and injuries
• Hypothermia

And indirect effects include:

• Mental health illnesses such as depression
• Carbon monoxide poisoning due to increased use of poorly maintained boilers and  heating appliances.

Many of the health impacts are predictable and mostly preventable.