Half of Britons say cost of living crisis has made health worse, poll finds

Of all those who reported their health getting worse, 84% said it was due to increased heating costs, 78% cited the rising cost of food and 46% cited transport costs. Photograph: Kumar Sriskandan/Alamy

More than half of people in the UK have already seen their health deteriorate as a result of the cost of living crisis, a survey reveals as doctors warned some patients can no longer afford to look after themselves.

A YouGov poll of 2,001 people commissioned by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) found 55% felt their health had worsened owing to issues such as higher heating and food costs. One in four of these people had been told this was the case by a doctor or other medical professional, with stress seen as a driving factor of ill-health.