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Thousands of babies and toddlers falling sick from damp homes in Britain, NHS doctor warns
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 12 Nov 2023
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This is the best summary I could come up with:
Government figures suggest that more than 520,000 rented properties in England have hazards that pose “a serious and immediate risk to a person’s health and safety” – a large proportion of these being cold, damp and mould.
He said: “Poor quality housing is having a profound effect on children’s health and leading to significantly raised admission sources for longer periods.” He added that it was costing the economy millions of pounds a year in time taken off work, and contributing to strain on the NHS.
The link between poor quality housing and ill health has become more prominent since the Covid pandemic and the inquest last year into the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died as a direct result of black mould in the flat he lived in.
Local authorities, which are responsible for overseeing the private rented sector, say their environmental health and housing teams are chronically under-resourced so the majority of complaints do not result in any formal action.
Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the body was encouraging paediatricians to ask about housing when reviewing children with lung issues, but she called on the government to do more to improve standards.
“The UK has some of the very worst housing stock in Europe and evidence shows a rising number of families are living in poor quality accommodation, with detrimental impacts on children’s health.
The original article contains 947 words, the summary contains 235 words. Saved 75%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!