HUNDREDS of health workers have written a warning to the government that the most vulnerable are facing a fuel poverty “public health emergency,” with NHS services bearing the consequences.

They called on Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Environment Secretary Ed Miliband to take action on the growing fuel poverty crisis and cold, poor-quality homes ahead of next week’s Autumn Budget.

Among the 440 signatories were doctors who told of their heartbreak watching patients fall ill from living in cold, damp and mouldy homes as they hit out against cuts to the Winter Fuel Allowance.

Sheffield resident doctor Jess Zollman Thomas said: “It’s heartbreaking watching people fall ill and trying to treat them for conditions that we know could have been prevented by the right environment.

“This is all at a time when we’re seeing energy companies boasting record profits.

“How is it that the most vulnerable in society are being forced to shoulder the weight of this crisis and the NHS is being forced to deal with the consequences?”

Brighton A&E doctor Jasmin Abbott said: “It’s really hard not to feel powerless when your patient tells you they’re worried their health is going to worsen again as they go into winter and they’re having to make that decision between heating and eating.

“I trained to be a doctor because I wanted to help people access good health, but the solutions to that are often bigger than I can prescribe.”

Dr Kush Naker, an infectious diseases registrar in London, said: “Every winter, capacity in NHS hospitals is pushed to breaking point due to the rise of seasonal infections such as flu and pneumonia.

“It is shocking that the government has chosen to exacerbate this, letting down older people who are most vulnerable to these infections, by cutting the winter fuel allowance.”

Public Health charity Medact, the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC), Greener Practice, Health for XR and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health are among the letter’s signatories.

It calls on the government to ensure everyone has access to basic energy needs through measures like a social tariff, a mass retrofitting programme and a rapid transition away from fossil fuels. 

A total of 58 people have died every day in winter from living in cold homes since the government cut insulation funding in 2013, according to Greenpeace.

More than a third of British households are now at risk of fuel poverty due to poor insulation, according to UKHACC.

Energy debt is at record levels, with bills remaining at historic highs since 2021 while 20 energy giants made £420 billion in profit. 

Warm This Winter spokeswoman Caroline Simpson said: “Equinor, the UK’s biggest gas supplier, has made £129 billion in global profits since the start of the energy crisis.

“Compare that to the 6.5 million people in the UK now in official fuel poverty and all of us forking out 60 per cent more on energy bills than we did four years ago.”

Fuel Poverty Action spokesman Jonathan Bean said: “Our energy pricing system is cruel and dangerous, forcing millions to turn off their heating. The energy crisis has become a health crisis.  

“The government and Ofgem have allowed a 65 per cent price increase and high standing charges, whilst energy firms make huge profits.”

A coalition of economists, green campaigners, millionaires, fuel poverty groups and a union warned Chancellor Rachel Reeves that her promise of a “reset” cannot be delivered without investment in public services and infrastructure.

An open letter, signed by 28 organisations including Greenpeace and Unite, urged Ms Reeves to introduce a wealth tax on the assets of the super-rich to reduce inequalities and fairly fund measures to help tackle the climate crisis.

Unite organiser Claire Peden, who endorsed the letter, said: “We need serious investment in our crippled public services and in industry to ensure a prosperous future for Britain’s workers and their communities.

“We are fed up with ordinary people bearing the brunt of austerity, we are fed up watching the government and the profiteers pick the pockets of pensioners, so, it’s time to rebalance the books. We won’t get the money needed, just by waiting for growth.  

“This is why Unite welcomes the groundswell that is forming to demand we tax the super-rich to pay for public services and invest in jobs and the economy.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We will do everything possible to support vulnerable families this winter - including with the £150 Warm Home Discount, expected to support three million eligible households, and our drive to boost Pension Credit, which has already seen a 152% increase in claims.

“We have also extended the Household Support Fund to prevent a cliff edge for struggling households this winter and recommend that anyone struggling to pay for their essentials contacts their council to see if they are eligible for this support.

“Our Warm Homes Plan will transform homes across the country by making them cheaper and cleaner to run, rolling out upgrades from new insulation to solar and heat pumps.”