Professor John Robertson OBA
In the Guardian on 31 December 2025:
The NHS is under “extraordinary pressure” and braced for a new year surge in sick patients as amber cold health alerts were issued for the whole of England. While the number of patients in hospital with flu is levelling off, according to data published on Wednesday, health leaders said the NHS was “not out of danger yet” with temperatures expected to plummet. On Wednesday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued amber warnings for every region of England, which will be in place between 8pm on Wednesday until 10am next Tuesday.
Previously, only north-east and north-west England were under an amber alert, with all other regions under a yellow alert. Amber cold health alerts are issued when the forecast weather is “likely to cause significant impacts across health and social care services”. Dr Paul Coleman, a health protection consultant at the UKHSA, said it was likely to be “very cold” across England over the next few days. “Low temperatures like these can have serious impacts on the health of some people, particularly older people and those with serious health conditions.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/31/nhs-amber-cold-health-alerts-england
Has there been a similar alert for Scotland?
No, an amber cold health alert has not been issued for Scotland as of January 1, 2026. Cold-Health Alerts are issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) primarily for regions in England, where amber alerts are currently in place for several English regions (e.g., North East, North West, and later expanded to others like the South West and Midlands) due to expected significant impacts on health and social care services. Scotland experiences very low temperatures (down to -6°C or -7°C in northern areas) and has Met Office amber warnings for heavy snow in parts of the north and east, along with yellow warnings for snow and ice. However, no UKHSA amber (or any level) cold health alert applies specifically to Scotland—these alerts target England’s health sector.
You as surprised as I am? On average, Scotland has 80 to 100+ nights with temperatures below 0°C whereas England has 50 to 70.
Scottish media are warning of severe weather but making no connection with any NHS pressures. Do they know we have, based on research published here, more nurses, more GPs, more hospital beds, cleaner hospitals, faster ambulances and more cohesive communities looking after old folk? All of that easily demonstrated in TuS, repeatedly.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 