Keep warm in winter
Winter Health
-
Five Ways to stay healthy this winter
It is cold outside. Here are five ways to make sure that you can keep healthy and fit no matter what the weather's like.
-
10 Winter Illnesses
Cold weather ailments and how to help your body deal with them
-
Stay well this winter
Feeling unwell? Don’t wait – seek advice from a pharmacist
-
5 ways to wipe out winter tiredness
Do you find it harder to roll out of bed in winter when the temperature drops and the mornings are darker?
Winter weather advice and information
-
How cold weather affects your health
Winter weather can bring many risks to you and your family. There's the usual winter coughs, colds and flu, but then there's also risks to your health associated with flooding and storms.
-
Stay healthy in winter
As we get older, changes to our bodies mean that cold weather and winter bugs affect us more than they used to.
-
Ways to keep the spirit up
Here are some things you can do to stay safe, keep warm and beat off those winter blues.
-
Cold weather advice
What to do when the weather is particularly bad. Beat the bad weather with these simple steps.
Useful Guides for Winter Warmth
-
Save energy, pay less
This guide looks at ways to make your home warmer without spending more on your heating bills. There are plenty of quick and easy things you can do that won't cost you a thing.
-
Keep Warm Keep Well
This booklet aims to help you maintain good health during winter and take advantage of the financial help and benefits available. Information for Over-60s, low-income families and people living with disabilities.
-
Winter wrapped up
A guide to keeping warm and well this winter. It explains what you can do to get yourself and your home ready for winter as well as where to go for more information and support.
-
Recipes for a warmer winter
A booklet of delicious ways to keep you warm
Watch videos
Support our Winter Warmth programme
Excess Winter Deaths - Some interesting facts and figures
What is Excess Winter Deaths (EWD)?
These are deaths which are directly related to the cold weather. These are people who generally have underlying health problems but would not have been expected to die during this period. This is why we call them ‘excess winter deaths’ (EWD).
Who is at risk?
Many different groups within society can be considered ‘vulnerable’ to the adverse affects of cold weather.However, some people are most at risk of serious illness or even death.
These deaths are caused by the cold making underlying health problems much worse for example; heart disease,
strokes and breathing problems. Being too cold can also increase the risk of trips and falls, which can be very dangerous for the elderly and frail.
What are the causes of Excess Winter Deaths?
Evidence suggests a strong link between EWDs and cold homes but not socio-economic deprivation. EWDs do not just occur in the poorest households, all of the most vulnerable are at risk if they live in a cold home.
Statistics for Excess Winter Mortality for England and Wales