Climate and climate change

Project aims

This study will look at how climate change affect temperature-related mortality in the UK and how can we reduce its mortality impacts in vulnerable communities. We will quantify the effects of temperature on mortality, and subsequently on hospital admissions, by small area and examines the individual and community determinants of the temperature mortality relationship. 

The aims of the study are to:

  • estimate dose-response relationships for the effects of temperature on mortality by small area in the warm and cold seasons;
  • assess how the dose-response relationships may be applied in a changing climate;
  • identify individual characteristics that make people vulnerable and resilient to the effects of temperature on mortality;
  • identify community characteristics that affect vulnerability and resilience to the effects of temperature on mortality;
  • estimate the effects of temperature on hospital admissions and hospital cost.

Data

ONS mortality

NHS Digital HES admitted patient care

Contact

Professor Majid Ezzati

Publications

Bennett JE, Blangiardo M, Fecht D, Elliott P, Ezzati M. Vulnerability to the mortality effects of warm temperature in the districts of England and Wales. Nature Climate Change 2014; 4(4):269-273 http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v4/n4/full/nclimate2123.html

MRC Centre for Environment and Health