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

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 intersectoral

collaboration should be identified and innovative multi-faceted interventions should be designed and evaluated.