Poor housing drove 40,000 NHS cases in 2024
Respiratory and cardiovascular conditions surge as NHS data highlights growing dangers of cold, damp and mould-affected homes. Experts warn vulnerable households face greater risks as the ECO4 scheme ends later this year.
As the UK emerges from another brutal winter, data from the UKHSA’s first Cold Mortality Monitoring Report which recorded an estimated 2,544 cold-related deaths during winter 2024/25, underlines a deepening pattern of harm that new NHS figures now expose in full.
A new Freedom of Information request submitted by PureBuilt has uncovered just under 40,000 NHS cases in 2024 where cold homes, damp, mould or poor housing conditions were recorded as contributing factors to serious respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.
Separate analysis published in February 2026 by Asthma + Lung UK found that emergency pneumonia admissions rose 25% between 2022/23 and 2024/25, reaching 579,475 cases, with cold, damp and mouldy homes identified as a leading cause. A 2025 survey by Health Equals found 28% of UK adults now report living in homes affected by damp, mould or cold, suggesting the underlying problem continues to grow.
The government confirmed in January 2026 that ECO4 will be extended by nine months to 31 December 2026, with no successor obligation and no carry-over mechanism into any future scheme. The Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) will end as planned on 31 March 2026.
In its place, the government launched the £15 billion Warm Homes Plan in January 2026, aiming to upgrade up to 5 million homes and lift up to 1 million families out of fuel poverty by 2030. However, eligibility rules and application routes are still being finalised, leaving households uncertain about what support will actually be available.
10 worst regions for housing-related health cases (2024)
Rank
Location
Environmental Issues
Inadequate Housing
Total Cases
1
London
7,170
1,165
8,335
2
Greater Manchester
1,550
275
1,825
3
Cheshire & Merseyside
1,300
215
1,515
4
Kent & Medway
890
190
1,080
5
North East & North Cumbria
945
90
1,035
6
Birmingham & Solihull
895
95
990
7
West Yorkshire
820
110
930
8
Sussex
765
100
865
9
Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire
755
75
830
10
Hampshire & Isle of Wight
715
80
795
London recorded by far the highest number of cases (8,335), driven by cold-related respiratory illness and severe overcrowding. Greater Manchester (1,825) and Cheshire & Merseyside (1,515) follow, where damp and mould-associated asthma and COPD are key factors. At the other end of the spectrum, Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin recorded the fewest cases nationally (60).
