‘Dangerously hostile’: heatwaves leave hospital wards unsafe, data reveals

Hospitals in England have recorded temperatures of almost 42C this summer, with surgeries being cancelled due to operating theatres' cooling units failing in the intense heat, according to figures disclosed by 33 NHS trusts. The Northern Care Alliance NHS foundation trust recorded a temperature of 41.8C during last month's heatwave, 14C above the recommended safe maximum of 28C set by NHS England. This limit is advised to protect the safety of staff and patients, and the average temperature on wards during July was 31.9C, exceeding this threshold. The Liberal Democrats, who obtained the data, are calling for ministers to set up a new "NHS rapid adaptation unit" to heatproof hospitals and care homes by installing air conditioning and other cooling measures.

The consequences of these high temperatures are far-reaching, with hospitals becoming "dangerously hostile environments for patients and healthcare workers". Some hospitals have been forced to cancel surgeries due to the heat, and patients are also cancelling their own surgery because it is too hot for them to travel. Hospitals and GP surgeries are offering frail elderly patients appointments at the start and end of the day to make it easier for them to attend, and ambulance services are struggling to keep medications at the right temperature. NHS ambulance trusts have relaxed their dress code rules to help crews stay cooler, and some NHS services are hiring air conditioning units to try to keep staff and patients cool. The NHS Alliance has run a survey showing the impact of the heat on trusts, including the failure of cooling units in operating theatres, which are often sited on the roof of hospital buildings and have failed due to exposure to the heat.

The situation has sparked mounting alarm, with NHS staff organisations saying that much of the health service's estate is so old that many buildings cannot cope with heatwaves. The evidence collected by the Liberal Democrats and NHS Alliance underlines this concern, with deputy director of policy David Williams stating that "overheating NHS hospitals are affecting the health and wellbeing of patients and staff and the temperatures we have seen repeatedly this summer show what an urgent issue this has become". The lack of investment in the NHS estate over many years has left crumbling buildings and dilapidated equipment in need of urgent repair, and the Liberal Democrats are calling for urgent action to address this issue. Helen Morgan, the party's health spokesperson, has said that ministers must set up a new "NHS rapid adaptation unit" to heatproof hospitals and care homes, making air conditioning mandatory in all care homes and upgrading NHS buildings to withstand future heatwaves.

⚡ Effects Interpreter