Some groups of people are especially vulnerable to the health effects of severe weather conditions, such as very hot or cold weather. At-risk groups include older people, the very young and people with pre-existing medical conditions as well as those whose health, housing or economic circumstances put them at greater risk of harm from adverse weather.

The Adverse Weather and Health Plan - GOV.UK aims to protect individuals and communities from the health effects of adverse weather and to build community resilience. The Plan brings together and builds on the previous Heatwave Plan for England and the Cold Weather Plan for England.

Please see guidance and resources below and attached, share with your staff, ensure standard IPC precautions are followed and that you have sufficient personal protective equipment for use in case of an infectious outbreak. Limited free PPE is still available by e-mailing PPE@bury.gov.uk.

As well as information and guidance for you and your staff I would like to ask if you could please share some information with clients or residents’ elderly or vulnerable visitors on keeping well this winter and signpost them to Support for Bury residents to keep you well this winter on The Bury Directory if required.

National IPC Guidance

Follow the Infection prevention and control: resource for adult social care guidance and practice standard infection control precautions (SICPs).

Stay strong with winter vaccines

Vaccination is the best defence against infectious diseases. Please check that your residents/ clients have been offered their seasonal vaccinations including:

• Flu

• COVID-19

• RSV

• Shingles

• Pneumococcal

If residents/ clients have not been offered their Flu and COVID-19 vaccines yet this season, inform us ASAP.

As you know NHS England has again advised all Health and Social Care staff are offered free flu and covid vaccinations this autumn. This is to protect them and their families, but also your vulnerable clients and residents, some of whom may not be able to receive their own vaccinations. 

Please see the posters and media attached which I hope that you will share with your staff and encourage these important vaccinations to reduce the risk of staff shortages over autumn/ winter and severe disease in your clients and residents. They can be booked via the national booking service. See the posters attached to promote vaccinations with your staff.

You should have a list recording if your staff have had a COVID or Flu vaccination as the percentage uptake for staff and residents will be required by our team / UKHSA to help the risk-assessment in the event of a respiratory outbreak in your setting.

Cold-Health Alert Service

The Cold-Health Alert (CHA) Service in England is provided by UKHSA and Met Office and runs from 1 November to 31 March each year. This is the period when low temperatures are likely to occur. Alerts are categorised as Yellow, Amber or Red.

Register to receive the weather health alerts 

Please review the Weather Health Alert System user guidance to explain how you can use the information contained within the alerts to respond to the different alert levels.

Who is at risk in cold weather?

Whilst exposure to cold can affect anyone, some people are particularly at risk. These include:

• older people (aged 65 and above)

• people with cardiovascular (heart and circulation) conditions

• people with respiratory conditions (in particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and childhood asthma)

• people with mental health conditions

• people with learning and/or physical disabilities

• young children (particularly those aged under 5)

• pregnant women

• people on a low income

Reasons for the increased risk of ill-health in cold weather. These include:

• poor-quality housing and particularly cold homes

• the higher frequency of circulating infectious diseases, such as flu and norovirus during the winter months

• physical hazards such as snow and ice

• use of malfunctioning or inappropriate appliances which can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.(see Protecting against carbon monoxide poisoning in care settings)

• mould is more likely to occur in damp and cold housing. This can increase the risk of illness, especially from asthma.

Health in Cold Weather guidance for all ASC providers

Supporting vulnerable people before and during cold weather: for adult social care managers provides advice to managers working in the social care sector on how to reduce the risks of cold weather to the health and wellbeing of those who receive care. It is intended for managers of registered care homes and other residential setting

Cold-Health Alert action card for health and social care providers summarises the suggested actions that providers of health or social care should consider to prepare for and respond to each Cold Health Alert type (Yellow, Amber or Red).

NICE-helping-to-prevent-winter-deaths-quick-guide.pdf gives information on how a vulnerable person, living in a cold home increases their chance of serious illness or death. They are at higher risk of a heart attack or stroke, breathing problems, flu, depression and falls.

e-lfh.org.uk/Helping people living in cold homes supports health and social care professionals to put NICE Guidance NG6 ‘Excess winter deaths and illness and the health risks associated with cold homes’ into practice.  It empowers professionals to direct people in cold homes to services that can help them overcome the problem.

Please share Germ Defence as this website will help people to find out how to protect themselves from infections, particularly winter viruses and COVID-19.

Health in Cold Weather guidance for care homes and residential settings

Cold-Health Alert summary action card for care homes and other residential settings is a summary of the suggested actions for each Cold-Health Alert level.

Health in Cold Weather guidance for home care services

Cold-Health Alert summary action card for services delivering care to people in their homes is a summary of the suggested actions for each Cold-Health Alert level.

UKHSA Acute Respiratory Infection Care Home Action Card 2024

Please find attached the revised UKHSA Acute Respiratory Infection Care Home Action Card.  This is to replace the previous versions of the Care Home Flu pack produced in previous years by UKHSA NW.

The Action Card provides a summary of all the guidance and actions to take to prevent, identify and respond to an outbreak of respiratory Illness in a care home setting.  Please review the action card and cascade to your staff, and to use this as the tool for managing possible care home outbreaks.

Please ensure adequate Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) are available for all residents who are eligible for antiviral treatments.  Stocks can be acquired from local pharmacies. – check where to get LFT kits here. We no longer hold stocks of LFT kits.

Management of Gastroenteritis (Diarrhoea and/or Vomiting) Outbreaks in an Adult Social Care Settings BURY 2024 – updated guidance

Every worker within a residential care setting, whatever their role, is responsible for infection prevention and control (IPC) and as a minimum must have a basic understanding of the subject. The guidance attached is to support staff dealing with an outbreak of diarrhoea and/or vomiting and has been formatted with action cards that detail each individual worker’s specific IPC role. These action cards should be copied and shared with the relevant members of staff when an outbreak occurs. This guidance is provided to aid adult social care settings to comply with the code of practice on the prevention and control of infections under the Health and Social Care Act (Department of Health and Social Care 2022).

Top tips for keeping warm and well this winter to share with staff, residents, clients,  service users and any vulnerable visitors

Please can you share the attached winter and vaccinations leaflets and posters with clients, residents’ elderly or vulnerable visitors and signpost them to Support for Bury residents to keep you well this winter on The Bury Directory?

Please can you also share Germ Defence as this website will help people to find out how to protect themselves from infections, particularly winter viruses and COVID-19.

Top tips for keeping warm and well this winter (print version)

Keeping warm and well: staying safe in cold weather (poster)