The Panel Visits the Usher Institute in Edinburgh
On the 10th of March, the Panel visited the University of Edinburgh’s Usher Institute to explore some of the health impacts of fuel poverty. The Panel was hosted at the Institute by Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh who is also the Scottish Government’s Chief Social Policy Adviser. Attendees included:
- Donna Burnett from Public Health Scotland (PHS)
- Dr Olivia Swan, Wellcome Early Career Fellow and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Disease
- Rebecca Sweeney and Dr Rebecca Lovell from Energy Systems Catapult
The session allowed the Panel to build on previous learnings on Energy Systems Catapult’s Warm Home Prescription Trial (WHP). The WHP is designed for people who struggle to afford energy and have severe health conditions made worse by the cold by enabling them to stay warm and well while reducing the energy consumption and carbon emissions of their home. The Panel previously heard about the WHP in Aberdeen in March 2024. The Panel was interested to hear about the WHP’s new iteration, which focuses on different funding models, including the integration of ECO4 into the WHP service.
The Panel also heard from Dr Olivia Swann about her Homes, Heat and Healthy Kids Study. Dr Swann drew on evidence demonstrating the link which exists between cold, damp and mouldy homes and respiratory infections in pre-school children. Her study innovatively joins up health and housing data across Scotland to help understand the best ways to make both homes warmer and children healthier. The Panel look forward to engaging further with Dr Swann.
Donna Burnett provided a useful context for the WHP and Kids’ Study presentations through a lens of what’s known about the impact of cold homes on Scotland’s health and Professor Bauld offered some behavioural research reflections.
Panel and Secretariat members alongside Donna Burnett (Public Health Scotland) Dr Olivia Swann, Professor Linda Bauld, and Rebecca Sweeney and Rebecca Lovell (Energy Systems Catapult)