Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the health impacts of cold weather conditions on vulnerable people in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

The Department works closely with the UK Health Security Agency, the Met Office, and local health and care parters to respond to Cold Health Alerts, which are issued when cold weather is forecast to pose a risk to health. Alerts are issued between 1 November and 31 March each year and are colour coded based on the likelihood and severity of health impacts. When alerts are issued, local areas, including Surrey and Surrey Health, are expected to take proportionate action to protect vulnerable people.

We started planning earlier and have taken more action than in previous years to prepare for winter pressures, and to mitigate cold-weather health impacts on vulnerable people nationally. This includes actions by health and care partners in Surrey and Surrey Heath. Our focus is on maintaining patient safety and timely access to urgent and emergency care throughout the colder months.

Flu remains a major seasonal challenge, particularly for older people, young children, pregnant women, and those with underlying conditions. Vaccination continues to be the most effective way to prevent severe illness and hospitalisation among vulnerable groups.