The home you live in shapes your health more than most people realise. Damp, cold, poor ventilation, and the wrong type of inhaler all have measurable impacts on respiratory health — and on the planet. In this episode, Charlotte is joined by the practice's lead pharmacist, a GP, and Frome Town Council's Healthy Homes advisor to explore the connection between where we live, how we breathe, and what we can do about it.

Guests

John Digman– Lead Pharmacist, Frome Medical Practice. John covers the practice's inhaler switching programme in detail: the old blue Ventolin metered dose inhaler carries a carbon footprint equivalent to driving around 150 miles in a petrol car. The new combined dry powder inhalers — which John and Helen are actively switching suitable patients to — are either carbon neutral or close to it. Somerset ICB is one of the top-performing areas in the country for dry powder prescribing. John's top tip: never put a finished inhaler in your bin — return it to the pharmacy for safe disposal.

Dr Helen Kingston – GP, Frome Medical Practice. Helen has been part of the Green & Healthy Frome project for five years and works alongside John implementing the latest NICE guidance on asthma treatment — moving patients from two separate inhalers to one combined device, which reduces hospitalisations, improves control, and cuts prescriptions. She also monitors the practice's prescribing data against national benchmarks using the Open Prescribing website.

Caroline Wajsblum – Healthy Homes Advisor, Frome Town Council. Caroline runs free energy advice and practical retrofit support for any Frome resident, regardless of income. Her team can help with draught proofing, ventilation, insulation, and connecting people to grant funding through the Centre for Sustainable Energy. One patient she supported accessed around £25,000 of energy upgrades including insulation and an air source heat pump — and their chronic bronchitis improved significantly.