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NICE guidance on GPs identifying cold homes ‘unrealistic’

NICE guidelines that recommend GPs use existing data to identify patients at risk of ill health from living in cold homes have been labelled ‘unrealistic’ following new research published in the British Journal of General Practice.

The guidance, published in 2015, said that GPs should check at least once a year whether their elderly or vulnerable patients are at risk from living in a cold home, and where needed refer them for help – but it was labelled ‘ludicrous’ by GP leaders.

The recent study – conducted by the University of Bristol, University College London and the University of Birmingham – has concluded that there was ‘no evidence’ to suggest this was possible.

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