Paramedics say they are seeing more and more people who are getting sick because they can’t afford to heat their homes. Gas and electricity prices are going up so fast that many people have to turn off their heat in the winter.
Crews from the Scottish Ambulance Service say they see sick people whose homes are too cold or who can’t afford to eat well. Most of the time, paramedics are called by friends or family.
Charities have warned that rising energy costs, rising inflation, and higher interest rates are a “toxic cocktail” for many people this winter.
After recent price hikes, the Scottish government thinks that about 36% of homes in Scotland will now be in “fuel poverty.” Tanya Hoffman and Will Green, who work for an ambulance service in Glasgow, say that most weeks they see people who have to choose between eating and staying warm.
They have been in homes that feel as cold as ice and where it is clear that the people living there are having a hard time. Tanya said, “It’s sad to see people living like that.”
“I’ve been to quite a few patients who can’t afford to buy food. They have to choose between food and heating.
“So they’ll sit quietly at home, and a family member or friend will usually call for them because they don’t want to bother anyone.
“They’re just sitting there, and they’re so cold that you can’t take their temperature.
“So you send them to the hospital because they can’t take care of themselves. You know that if you leave that person at home, they will probably die because it is so cold.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) says that between December 1 and 18 of last year, when the first cold snap hit, about 44 people a day were taken to the hospital because they were too cold.
During that time, 170 people with hypothermia were taken to the hospital by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which is Scotland’s largest health board. This was because temperatures in many places dropped to minus 10 degrees.
Will says that the fact that someone lives in a freezing house “counts” when he decides if they are safe to be left at home or not.
He also said, “If they don’t turn on the heater, they won’t feel better.
“Respiratory illnesses and seasonal bugs are much easier to get if they can’t take care of their basic needs, like getting food and a warm place to sleep.
“If they can’t stay on top of that, they will get sick.”