The UK Health Security Agency have updated their cold weather communications toolkit for 2025/26. This is similar to last year, and contains basic health information for public and professional audiences. Those more at risk of becoming unwell in cold weather include:
- older people (aged 65 years and over)
- people with long-term health conditions such as cardiovascular or respiratory disease, or a mental health condition
- pregnant women
- young children (particularly those aged 5 and under)
- people with learning disabilities
- people at risk of falls
- people who live alone and may be unable to care for themselves
- people who are housebound or have low mobility
- people living in deprived circumstances
The communications toolkit supports the Weather-Health Alerting system, which issues cold-health alerts, and the Adverse Weather and Health Plan (AWHP).
On 1 November 2025, the Cold-Health Alerting system jointly provided by UKHSA and Met Office will go live.
Stakeholders are asked to sign up to Weather-Health Alerts, so if you would like to receive email alerts, please register and share the link with anyone you feel should be receiving them.
UKHSA's communications toolkit includes key messaging to be used both before cold weather, and after alerts come into effect, including advice and social media messages.
There is more information for members in the Homecare Association's Winter Planning Guidance.
