The poor quality of housing stock in the UK was responsible for “more respiratory illness in England than Sweden”.
In the last past five years hospital admissions for chronic lower respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis and emphysema, have been 40% higher per 100,000 of population in England than in Sweden, according to an analysis by Friends of the Earth (FoE).
Hospital stays due to pneumonia have also been 27% higher in the same period, while 126% more people in England than Sweden were admitted with asthma.
FoE said the difference was down to poor insulation in many houses in England. It also said that Swedish homes are well insulated and the country has far lower levels of fuel poverty. It also has colder and harsher winters along with the highest energy prices in the EU.
The walls of houses in the UK typically lose three times as much heat at those in Sweden, due to a lack of cavity wall and loft insulation to retain heat, it noted.
“It’s shocking that despite our milder weather, far more people per head of population get seriously ill in England from cold home-related illnesses than they do in Sweden,” the charity said.
Analysis of official statistics showed that 263 people per 100,000 in Sweden reported to hospital with lower respiratory disease while the English rate was 369 per 100,000.
FoE warned that cold homes are implicated in other medical problems, such as stroke and heart attacks.
National Energy Action, a charity that campaigns against fuel poverty, has estimated that treating illnesses linked to cold homes costs the NHS £1.5bn a year.
