Hospitals in England are facing unprecedented pressure as they struggle to cope with the demands of record-breaking heatwaves. The recent critical incident declarations at hospitals across the country serve as a stark reminder that our healthcare system is not equipped to deal with the consequences of extreme temperatures. What's more, it's not just an English problem – Europe has been hit hard too, with hospitals in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany reporting surging admissions and failing cooling systems.
The warning signs have been there for years: nearly half of European city hospitals are located in urban 'heat island' hotspots. And it's not just the patients who are suffering – a 2024 survey found that over 90% of UK healthcare professionals believe heat stress negatively impacts their performance, while almost three-quarters consider existing protections insufficient.
Mark Wilson, Executive Director of Health Care Without Harm Europe, and Dr Paul De Raeve, Secretary General of the European Federation of Nurses Associations (EFN), are among those calling for a fundamental shift in how we respond to heatwaves. They're backing an open letter to the European Commission that urges policymakers to adopt comprehensive climate adaptation policies, protect healthcare workers from extreme temperatures, and support low-carbon, resilient healthcare facilities.
Nadine Henderson, Principal Economist at the Office of Health Economics, notes that the NHS is not only a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions but also vulnerable to their impacts. The NHS's 10-year plan lacks specific proposals to reduce carbon emissions or integrate climate adaptation strategies – a missed opportunity to break the cycle of deteriorating health driving greater demand for care and increasing carbon emissions.
As experts stress, it's time to put climate resilience at the heart of public health strategy, rather than relegating it to a secondary concern. The NHS must prioritise heatwave preparedness to protect patients and staff from increasingly frequent extreme weather events – anything less would be a dereliction of duty.