By Rachael Goodenough
The Warm Homes Prescription scheme is being expanded after a successful trial in Gloucestershire.
The trial saw the government pay the energy bills for 28 patients with respiratory health conditions between December 2021 and March 2022. The scheme will now be expanded to 150 patients in Gloucestershire as well as patients in Aberdeenshire and Tees Valley with their bills being paid between this November and next March.
The pilot scheme was initially funded by the NHS but the expansion will be paid for through the government’s Housing Support Fund. The results of the pilot showed that the recipients were healthier, less stressed and less likely to go to the GP or the hospital, according to The Independent.
Hospitals in Gloucestershire currently spend £2.7 million a month on treating respiratory conditions. This is one of many support schemes aiming to help people in Gloucestershire to pay their energy bills during the cost-of-living crisis, such as the Warm and Well helpline run by Severn Wye, the Warm Home Discount Scheme, and the Household Support Fund, which are nationwide services.
Jeanette Scott, a volunteer for Age UK from Gloucestershire, thinks the scheme is a ‘brilliant idea’, saying “If GPs are willing to do it, I think we should do it.” Sarah, 54 from Camarthen also shared her thoughts, saying “It makes a massive difference for those with a life-threatening illness when the world around you is that much harder – just getting up every day, just doing the basics. Having all that (the basics) taken care of means that you can focus on the important things like doing your physio or going to that social meeting or doing an activity to keep you stimulated.”
