Data from 33 NHS trusts reveals hospital wards exceeding safe temperature limits, leading to cancelled surgeries and equipment failures during recent heatwaves.
Key facts
- •The Northern Care Alliance NHS foundation trust recorded a peak temperature of 41.8C during a recent heatwave.
- •NHS England advises that hospitals should maintain temperatures at or below 28C to ensure safety.
- •Data from 33 NHS trusts indicates an average ward temperature of 31.9C during July.
- •Some hospitals have been forced to rent at least 600 portable air conditioning units to manage the heat.
- •Operating theatre cooling systems have failed in some locations due to direct exposure to extreme heat.
Hospitals across England have reported extreme indoor temperatures this summer, with some wards reaching 41.8C. These conditions have forced the cancellation of planned surgeries after cooling systems in operating theatres failed due to the intense heat. Data obtained by the Liberal Democrats from 33 NHS trusts shows that average ward temperatures in July reached 31.9C, surpassing the 28C limit recommended by NHS England for patient and staff safety.
By the numbers
Operational and Safety Impacts
The extreme heat has created significant challenges for healthcare delivery, including the failure of cooling units often located on hospital rooftops. Some trusts have resorted to renting hundreds of portable air conditioning units to mitigate the heat. Beyond facility issues, some patients have cancelled their own surgeries due to the difficulty of traveling in high temperatures, while GP surgeries have shifted appointments for frail elderly patients to cooler times of the day. Staff safety is also a concern, with reports of nurses fainting and ambulance services struggling to maintain the required storage temperatures for medications. Organizations representing NHS staff attribute these issues to an aging estate that is ill-equipped to handle modern heatwaves, compounded by a long-term lack of investment in building maintenance.
Proposed Policy Responses
In response to the findings, the Liberal Democrats are calling for the creation of an 'NHS rapid adaptation unit.' The party suggests this body should focus on 'heatproofing' vulnerable facilities, making air conditioning mandatory in all care homes, and upgrading NHS buildings to better withstand future extreme weather. Helen Morgan, the party’s health spokesperson, described current hospital conditions as 'dangerously hostile' for both patients and healthcare workers.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Guardian Health.
