The NHS has today
issued a call for 100,000 people to sign a pledge saying they will look in on an
elderly friend or neighbour this winter.
Each winter thousands
of people in England die as a result of cold weather. Most are over 75 and most
of these deaths could be avoided. Hundreds of thousands of others spend much of
the winter alone and lonely.
The
campaign, led by the NHS Choices website (www.nhs.uk)
and supported by the Daily Mail and the Telegraph media groups, seeks to help by
appealing to an old-fashioned sense of neighbourliness. Specifically, it is
asking for 100,000 people to sign an electronic pledge that states: “I will
take time out this winter to look in on an elderly friend or neighbour to make
sure they are warm and coping well.”
Those
who sign the Winter Friends pledge will receive free cold weather alerts and
email tips throughout the winter to help them do their bit.
One
of the first to sign the pledge is the actress and campaigner Joanna Lumley. She
said yesterday that becoming a Winter Friend would not just help the elderly but
bring great rewards to those that took part.
Miss Lumley said: “A
little help really does go a long way. You will also find, I’m sure, that giving
a bit of your time in this way is hugely rewarding. Older people can be
physically frail but they have a lifetime’s wisdom and experience to share.
“That’s why I’m proud
to lend my support to the NHS Winter Friends Pledge. Please join me and together
we can make sure this winter is a wonderful winter for everyone.”
Other
prominent figures supporting the campaign include the Olympic gold medalist
Sally Gunnell, the actors Sir Tony Robinson and Olivia Colman, the television
presenters Richard Madeley and Jenni Falconer, and the rapper Plan B.
People
who wish to sign the pledge and join the NHS Winter Friends campaign should go
to www.nhs.uk/WinterFriends.
Signing the pledge takes only a moment but research suggests that if 100,000
people sign many lives will be enriched and many deaths avoided.
In
England, 51% of all people over 75 live alone and 5m older people say the
television is their main form of company. Research shows that loneliness and
social isolation are also harmful to our physical health. Studies
indicate that lack of social connections is as likely to cause early death as
smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
The
initiative is part of wider NHS campaign to encourage people to take care of
their health during winter.
NHS
England recently published analysis showing that the number of unnecessary
emergency admissions to hospital rises in winter. It showed that older people
are most likely to be affected and that the one of the biggest issues is
respiratory conditions.
Professor
Mike Morgan, National Clinical Director for Respiratory Health, said: “My
message to the public is simple: look after yourself this winter. If you know
someone who is frail or elderly or has an existing health problem and they are
feeling unwell, encourage them to seek early advice, go to their local pharmacy
or GP before one problem leads to another and they end up in
hospital.”