A new government report warns that climate change over the next 50 years could cause major death and destruction in Britain. This could overwhelm local NHS resources and cost local authorities billions of pounds.

The main points of the report are:

&#149 Heat-related deaths are likely to increase to around 2,800 cases per year;

&#149 Cases of food poisoning are likely to rise by as much as 10,000 per year;

&#149 The effects of ozone damage are likely to increase, leading to several thousand extra deaths and a similar rise in hospital admissions;

&#149 Cases of skin cancer are likely to rise by 5,000 cases per year and cataracts by 2,000 cases per year;

&#149 Cold-related winter deaths are likely to decline significantly, by perhaps 20,000 cases per year;

&#149 The risk of major disasters caused by severe gales and flooding is likely to rise significantly;

&#149 The impact of air pollution on health is likely to decline, however;

&#149 Water-borne diseases may increase but the overall impact is likely to be small;

&#149 Insect-borne diseases may cause local problems but the overall impact is likely to be small;

&#149 Measures to reduce the rate of climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions could have beneficial effects on health.