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Nurses report extreme hospital heat as Britain faces record temperatures
Britain is expected to reach as high as 38 degrees Celsius, and the Royal College of Nursing said some wards lack ventilation and emergency treatment has been needed after collapses from dehydration.
Nurses in the UK say working conditions in hospitals and care homes are becoming dangerous as record temperatures drive a fifth heatwave of the year, according to the Royal College of Nursing, cited by SCMP Economy. The union said members have reported temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, including wards and care settings without air conditioning, fans, or even windows that open.
The RCN said the affected facilities are utterly unprepared for extreme heat, warning that the situation is both an employment and patient care risk. In a statement, Nicola Ranger, the union’s general secretary and chief executive, said it is becoming an impossible and inhumane place to work or receive care, with nurses buckling under the strain.
Parts of the UK are expected to hit up to 38 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the Met Office warning that the summer is on track to be the hottest on record. Prime Minister Andy Burnham convened an emergency meeting of ministers and senior officials on Wednesday to address pressure on emergency workers and farmers.
Ranger also pointed to specific cases cited by the RCN, including a nurse working in a ward without ventilation who collapsed from dehydration and required emergency treatment at the same hospital.