Guiding approaches - local
Director of Public Health annual report 2024/25: health and climate change
The 2024/25 report focuses on the growing health impacts of climate change in Norfolk and outlines the role that local public services - including adult social care - can play in building climate resilience and improving population health.
For adult social care providers, the report highlights several key considerations:
- Climate change risks deepening existing health inequalities: Norfolk's ageing population and rural geography make it particularly vulnerable to heatwaves, flooding, and poor air quality. These impacts are more likely to be felt by people drawing on care - and may also place additional strain on unpaid carers and the adult social care workforce.
- Prevention and resilience: many climate actions - such as improving energy efficiency, increasing access to green spaces, and encouraging active travel - also support physical and mental wellbeing. These align closely with adult social care's role in prevention and early intervention.
- Opportunities for providers: the transition to net zero offers new opportunities to adapt homes, strengthen community resilience, and embed more sustainable practices. This might include improving indoor air quality, helping people manage energy use, or supporting individuals after extreme weather events.
- Working as a system: the report calls for coordinated action across councils, health, housing, and care partners to address climate-related risks - particularly to protect those most at risk.
This work builds on Norfolk's Public Health Strategic Plan (2023) and reinforces the shared commitment to prevention, sustainability, and improving health outcomes across the system.
