The impact of climate change on health and social care services
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-12)

Climate change is increasing pressure on health and social care services, with wide-ranging impacts on mental health, service demand, and inequalities.

CCHS navigation menu: CCHS homepage (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-centre-for-climate-health-security)Topic: health impacts (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/health-impacts) Part of: Climate change and mental health (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/climate-change-and-mental-health)

Key resources for health and social care services:

The impact of climate change on health and social care services

Climate-related hazards - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/climate-related-hazards)

Overview of the climate change and mental health report (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/overview-of-the-climate-change-and-mental-health-report)

Climate change and mental health report (pdf) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-and-mental-health-report)

Additional resources:

4th Health and Climate Adaptation Report (https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/4th-health-and-climate-adaptation-report/)

Climate and health: applying All Our Health (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-applying-all-our-health/climate-and-health-applying-all-our-health)

Delivering greener, more sustainable and net zero mental health care (https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/docs/default-source/improving-care/nccmh/net-zero-mhc/delivering-greener--more-sustainable-and-net-zero-mental-health-care---guidance-and-recommendations.pdf)

Climate change adaptation: a guide for health and care professionals (https://sustainablehealthcare.org.uk/blog-climate-change-adaptation/)

Increased demand on health and social care services

Extreme weather events (such as heatwaves and flooding) are linked to increased mental health-related hospital admissions, GP visits, and requests for mental health support.

Older adults and people with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable, noting these groups have higher rates of hospitalisation and mortality during heatwaves (1 (#refs)).

Healthcare workers and first responders (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-and-the-mental-health-of-occupational-groups) are themselves at risk of mental health impacts due to exposure to extreme weather.

Inequalities and at risk populations

Climate change is worsening existing inequalities, including health inequalities. As climate change progresses, the health impacts will not be distributed equally. The mental health impacts will be greater for some groups than for others including:
- children and young people (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-and-the-mental-health-of-children-and-young-people)
- people with existing health conditions (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-and-mental-health-of-people-with-existing-conditions)
- occupational groups (such as farmers and emergency responders) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/climate-change-and-the-mental-health-of-occupational-groups)
- people living in deprived areas
- ethnic minority groups
- inclusion health populations (such as migrants and individuals experiencing homelessness)
Some of these groups may already face barriers in accessing mental health support (2 (#refs)) and health services (3 (#refs)). They may also lack insurance or experience financial insecurity, factors that affect mental health resilience.

Service disruption and accessibility

Health and social care services, especially services which support people with mental health conditions, are likely to face operational risks due to extreme weather events. These include:
- infrastructure (such as overheating in hospitals)
- access to services (such as water, energy, transport and supply chains)
- increased service demand due to climate-related ill-health
- increased mental health-related hospital attendance as a result of heat exposure
- increased demand for both formal and informal mental health resources and support as a result of flood exposure
- workforce wellbeing (especially among frontline workers)
Healthcare planning considerations

NHS organisations have legal and strategic duties under the Health and Care Act (2022) (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2022/31/contents) and the Climate Change Act (2008) (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2008/27/contents) to reduce emissions, adapt to current and future climate risks, and consider health equity and environmental targets in decision making.

The 4th Health and Climate Adaptation Report (https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/4th-health-and-climate-adaptation-report/) (1 (#refs)) recommends that mental health be integrated into climate adaptation planning, including:
- preparedness for extreme weather events
- resilience-building in communities
- support for frontline workers
- embedding mental health into infrastructure and service design
The report also says that the NHS workforce should be empowered and supported to lead climate adaptation (1 (#refs)). To maximise preparedness and service resilience cross-sector collaboration and coordination is needed across:
- NHS organisations (including Trusts and Integrated Care Boards)
- public health bodies
- local authorities
- social care providers
- community organisations
References

NHS England, 4th Health and climate adaptation report (https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/4th-health-and-climate-adaptation-report/) (viewed on 6 October 2025)

Equality Trust, Mental illness and barriers to access (https://equalitytrust.org.uk/news/blog/mental-illness-and-barriers-access/) (viewed on 6 October 2025)

NHS England, A national framework for NHS – action on inclusion health (https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/a-national-framework-for-nhs-action-on-inclusion-health/#appendix-a-selected-statistics-on-the-health-of-inclusion-health-groups) (viewed 6 October 2025)