RCN Warns Extreme Heat Leaving NHS and Care Settings “Impossible and Inhumane”

Extreme heat is turning parts of the NHS and the care sector into an “impossible and inhumane” environment for staff and patients alike, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned, as it calls for an urgent nationwide programme to heat-proof health and care facilities in response to climate change.

The warning follows a surge in calls to the RCN’s member helpline, with nursing staff reporting collapsing on shift, suffering heat-related seizures, and pregnant nurses working in temperatures exceeding 30°C. Many staff say they are working without access to air conditioning, fans or even basic ventilation.

The RCN said the accounts represent only a fraction of what nursing staff have endured during this summer’s heatwaves, and has invited members to share their own experiences of working through the extreme heat, including whether they believe their government is doing enough to protect patients and staff.

The college is also calling on governments across the UK to cut emissions and take a leading role internationally in tackling global warming.

Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said large parts of the NHS and social care estate were unfit to cope with soaring temperatures.

“Swathes of the NHS and social care estate are in disrepair following decades of underinvestment, and are utterly unprepared for extreme temperatures,” she said. “It’s becoming an impossible and inhumane place to work or receive care, with vulnerable patients, including the elderly and those recovering from surgery, receiving care in temperatures that risk making them sicker. It’s unacceptable.”

Although there is no upper legal limit on workplace temperatures in the UK, employers are legally required to ensure workplaces are safe, that temperatures are reasonable, and that appropriate mitigations are in place. However, the RCN said calls to its helpline reveal a widespread lack of functioning air conditioning, fans and ventilation across health and care settings. Windows often cannot be opened, and in several cases staff said management had refused requests for air conditioning or for uniform policies to be relaxed to help them cope with the heat.

Among the concerns raised with the RCN helpline:

• Members reported collapsing from dehydration, suffering heat-related seizures, and becoming physically unwell while caring for patients.
• Older and more vulnerable patients were being left in hot, stuffy rooms, while surgical patients were recovering in temperatures exceeding 30°C.
• Medicines, blood products and clinical equipment had to be relocated to prevent overheating and maintain safety standards.

Professor Ranger said the situation demanded immediate action. “Climate change is a serious threat to people’s health and the services they rely on. That’s why we need action, not in two or three years, but now, to prioritise and accelerate investment to upgrade facilities, adapting to the climate crisis as temperatures rise.

“Employers must also abide by their legal duties to make workplaces safe, by mitigating the risks to staff from the heat. This includes installing air conditioning, improving ventilation, ensuring water and heat-appropriate uniforms are available, and guaranteeing risk assessments are a core part of business planning, especially for pregnant or vulnerable workers.

“We also need specific actions to protect those working in the community, who often are travelling in hot cars, with little accessible parking and left to walk long distances carrying heavy bags to meet patients.”