Top doctor warns climate change may have ‘immediate and worsening’ health impact

Health and care services need to address the “immediate and worsening impact on health” of the climate crisis, Scotland’s top doctor has said.

Chief medical officer Professor Sir Gregor Smith used his annual report to highlight the dangers to health from “flooding, overheating, high winds and storms and water scarcity”.

The doctor, who took on the role during the Covid pandemic, added that “one of the most significant risks” to public health could be invasive mosquitoes, which research has suggested could be prevalent in Scotland by the 2060s.

In his annual report, Sir Gregor warned: “Climate modelling suggests that invasive mosquito species, which transmit serious diseases like dengue, chikungunya and Zika, may become endemic in England by the 2040s and parts of Scotland by the 2060s – due to a hotter and more humid climate.

“This is one of the most significant risks that climate change poses to public health in our country and we need to be prepared to respond.”

His 2023-24 report said “the most significant long-term threat to human health remains the climate emergency and its impact on planetary health”.

It added: “Our health and care system must adapt and enact plans to address the immediate and worsening impact on health of flooding, overheating, high winds and storms and water scarcity.

“It is clear to me that health and care professionals globally must use our trusted position and influence to help us mitigate and adapt to the planetary crisis with greater urgency.”

His report said “last summer saw Scotland’s hottest June since records began” and last winter was one of the wettest for the UK, with global sea levels rising twice as fast as in the 1990s.

Sir Gregor said: “What we choose to do now matters. Many of the anticipated health impacts of climate change in the UK are still avoidable.”

He added he “must emphasise the urgency of addressing this planetary crisis and the public health crisis that is unfolding consequently”.

He said as many as 250,000 additional deaths will occur globally every year between 2030 and 2050 as a result of climate change, and “climate is already affecting our health in Scotland”.

Sir Gregor said: “Winter saw Storm Babet sweep across the country, with half the average monthly rainfall for October falling in days and tragically leading to loss of life and hardship.

“Unpredictable storms and flooding will continue to become more common. By 2050 winter rainfall is expected to increase by 8-12% and sea levels in Edinburgh are expected to rise by 12-18cm.

“More flooding will compound existing inequalities and the greatest health burden associated with flooding is likely to be the long-term mental health impacts.”

He said pollution is responsible for 16% of deaths worldwide, adding: “In Scotland, outdoor air pollution is implicated in approximately 1,800 to 2,700 deaths every year, making it the largest environmental risk to public health.”

While Scotland has “some of the most stringent air pollution regulations in the world”, Sir Gregor said these still fall short of World Health Organisation recommendations, adding that “in countries with similar ambient levels of air pollution to Scotland, there is compelling evidence of harm”.

To help address the climate emergency, he said the “number one thing” medical professionals can do is “create less waste when we deliver healthcare”.

He noted that single-use medical items had “become the standard in many places” and suggested changing to reusable products.

Sir Gregor added that while this would take “initial investment” it should “pay for itself over the lifetime of the equipment”.