The Department is taking the following steps to reduce the number of cold-related deaths:
supply of information with national publicity—supply of information with national publicity campaigns to raise awareness of the effects of cold and how to reduce risk. Over two million Keep Well, Keep Warm information booklets have been dispersed this winter, including to primary healthcare settings;
improving good practice—raising awareness and integrating fuel poverty and winter warmth into assessment tools and developing straightforward referral pathways for health and social care workers; and
partnership working—local regional and national levels to ensure a strategic and joined up approach is taken to promoting winter warmth, i.e. local area agreement.