CLINICALLY vulnerable people are being admitted into hospital as a result of having their energy disconnected, a leading health boss has said. 

Samantha Allen, the chief executive for the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, has penned a letter to energy regulator Ofgem alerting them to her 'serious concerns' that those vulnerable are at risk of surviving - with medical apparatuses such as oxygen tanks being disconnected as a result of non-payments. 

She is calling for the regulator to have better checks in place so that vulnerable people are never in a situation of having their supply cut off, in order to avoid life-threatening situations. 

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In the letter to Ofgem chief executive, Jonathan Brearly, she wrote: "It has come to light that we are starting to see examples where clinically vulnerable people have been disconnected from their home energy supply which has then led to a hospital admission. 

"This is impacting on people who live independently at home, with the support from our community health services team and are reliant on using electric devices for survival.

"An example of this is oxygen; there will be many other examples. There is also a similar concern for clinically vulnerable people with mental health needs who may find themselves without energy supply," she said. 

Ms Allen also said that the impact of having energy supplies terminated ultimately places further strain and demand on already stretched NHS and social care services. 

"As energy prices rise, we are all conscious of the impact this will have on those people who cannot afford to pay for their energy.

"This is of grave concern to everyone, I am sure, especially given the evidence relating to excess winter deaths and serious illnesses as a result of cold weather.

"I, therefore, ask you to reconsider the disconnection policy for all energy companies and mirror that which is in place within the Water Industry where domestic supplies cannot be disconnected," she said. 

In response, an Ofgem spokesperson said: “We have received the letter from the NHS North-East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board which we will respond to.

"This letter raises a number of serious concerns and we can assure people that protecting consumers is Ofgem’s top priority and we hold suppliers firmly to account on fulfilling their obligations to their customers, especially those living in vulnerable circumstances." 

The regulator advised anyone who may be struggling or concerned about energy bills that they should contact their energy suppliers as soon as possible. 

If a customer uses an oxygen concentrator at home, Ofgem also stated they can get money back for the electricity it uses - funded by the NHS. 

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