On Wednesday 4th June, Medact is co-hosting a vital event in Parliament – “Healthy Homes, Stronger NHS: Combating Public Health & NHS Crises with Better Insulation”. This roundtable will bring together health workers, tenants and housing experts to highlight the serious and preventable harms caused by cold, damp and poorly insulated homes.
This is a key moment to influence government action ahead of the upcoming Spending Review and Warm Homes Plan. You can help by urging your MP to attend and hear directly from frontline voices.
Across the political spectrum, there’s growing recognition that housing is a public health issue. Cold, unsafe homes are making people sick and placing huge strain on an overstretched NHS.
With the government preparing for the June Spending Review and Warm Homes Plan, we have a powerful window to demand:
- A fully funded retrofit programme to insulate homes properly
- Stronger protections for renters following upgrades
- High installation standards to safeguard health and ventilation
The roundtable will:
- Share frontline stories from health workers and tenants affected by poor insulation and housing conditions.
- Present three key policy solutions: a fully funded Warm Homes Plan, protection for private renters, and high retrofit standards.
- Encourage MPs to take action ahead of the Spending Review and the publication of the Warm Homes Plan.
You can take action today in your constituency. It will take only a few minutes to email your MP and ask them to attend the roundtable. Let us know if you received a positive or negative response from your MP by emailing [email protected].
We’ve drafted a template email you can use. Scroll down to view it or download it as a Word document.
Template email to MPs requesting they join the Parliamentary roundtable on housing and health – Wednesday, 4th June
[YOUR FULL ADDRESS]
[YOUR POSTCODE]
[DATE]
Dear [MP NAME],
My name is [Your Full Name], and I’m a [Your Role – e.g., GP, nurse, occupational therapist] based in [Constituency]. I’m writing to personally invite you to an important parliamentary roundtable on Wednesday, June 4th (3-4pm in Room N, Portcullis House).
This event – “Healthy Homes, Stronger NHS: Combating Public Health & NHS Crises with Better Insulation” – will bring together health professionals, tenants, and experts to discuss the urgent link between poor housing and public health, hosted by the health charity Medact.
Why this matters:
Every day, I see firsthand how unsafe, cold, and damp housing is driving poor health – especially for children, older people, and those living with chronic illness. [Insert your own story or example here – e.g., “Just last month, I had to discharge a child back to a mouldy home, knowing it would worsen their asthma.”]
The recent Home Sick Home report, based on a national survey of over 2,000 health workers, found that:
- A significant majority (59%) said that policies that improve energy efficiency in homes would reduce the impact of housing problems on the NHS
- 3 in 4 healthcare workers say poor housing is making their patients sick
- 65% see patients living in excessively cold homes; 61% hear of damp and mould
The roundtable will:
- Share frontline stories from health workers and tenants affected by poor insulation and housing conditions.
- Present three key policy solutions: a fully funded Warm Homes Plan, protection for private renters, and high retrofit standards.
- Encourage MPs to take action ahead of the Spending Review and the publication of the Warm Homes Plan.
Your voice in Parliament matters deeply to me and those I care for. I hope you will be able to join us and hear directly from those on the frontline of this growing crisis.
Please RSVP to confirm your attendance – I would be happy to share more details if helpful.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Warm wishes,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Role – e.g., Respiratory Nurse, GP, Public Health Doctor]
