Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), welcomed the publication of The Health Impacts of Cold Homes and Fuel Poverty, written by the Marmot Review Team for Friends of the Earth.
Commenting on the report, Sir Richard said:
This report, with its powerful evidence of the harm cold housing does to health should be the catalyst for strong government action to help people insulate and heat their homes, particularly to protect children and older people. As the RCP underlined in its report How doctors can close the gap, doctors are increasingly recognising the role they have to play in reducing inequalities in health. When the responsibility for public health moves to local authorities there will be further opportunities for doctors to play a leading role in finding local solutions to help their communities in areas like cold housing and fuel poverty.