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Hospitals Hit 35C: NHS Trust Pledges Action
8 Jul
Summary
- Hospital wards reached extreme temperatures of 35C during the recent heatwave.
- An NHS trust is upgrading older buildings to withstand extreme heat.
- The recent heatwave caused critical incidents for ambulance services.
Temperatures on some hospital wards soared to 35C during the recent heatwave, prompting Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust to pledge improvements. The trust, which operates hospitals in Surrey and Berkshire, is assessing methods to enhance the resilience of its older buildings against extreme heat.
James Clarke, the trust's chief strategy officer, described the recent high temperatures as "tough" for patients and acknowledged they were "not comfortable." This extreme weather event occurred as several hospitals across Hampshire and the South Central Ambulance Service declared critical incidents due to the added pressure on services.
The trust manages several key facilities, including Wexham Park Hospital in Slough, Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot, and Frimley Park Hospital in Camberley, all of which were affected by the heat.
