Patients in NHS hospitals experienced significant health risks and deterioration during recent record-breaking heatwaves, according to a survey of nursing staff conducted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). The poll, which gathered responses from 2,471 nurses across the UK, reported cases of vulnerable patients suffering or dying due to extreme temperatures on hospital wards.

The summer heatwaves saw temperatures in some hospitals reach as high as 44°C, with nurses describing the conditions as “suffocating” and detrimental to patient care. One nurse on a children’s ward in Yorkshire reported the temperature hitting this level, while others in different regions, including the North West and East of England, recounted patients struggling with heat-related effects such as dehydration, fainting, and worsened respiratory distress.

Particularly affected were elderly patients and those with underlying health problems, including heart failure and respiratory conditions. A nurse from Wales noted that two frail patients’ deaths were directly influenced by the extreme heat, highlighting that for individuals in respiratory failure, such conditions could be fatal. In London, nurses reported neonatal patients suffering increased respiratory distress linked to the heat.

Instances of compromised care were also detailed. A cancer-care nurse expressed concern over patients sweating profusely during chemotherapy sessions in a unit without air conditioning, raising safety issues alongside discomfort. Another nurse in palliative care described wounds on a patient festering to the point of attracting maggots, leaving a distressing impact on the patient and their family. There were further reports of declining wound healing and reduced mobility due to the high temperatures.

The survey also highlighted the mental health impact, with some nurses reporting that heat exacerbated behavioral challenges among psychiatric patients, leading to increased assaults on staff.

Overall, 74% of respondents said they lacked confidence in the government’s actions to prepare the NHS and social care for the effects of climate change, calling for urgent investment and infrastructure improvements to better manage extreme weather conditions.

The RCN’s chief executive, Professor Nicola Ranger, emphasized the severity of the situation, warning that the combination of climate change and long-term underinvestment has left healthcare settings ill-equipped to protect patients in such conditions. She called for the installation of effective cooling systems across all NHS facilities before the next summer to prevent a repeat of the recent harm.

The Department of Health has been contacted for comment but has not yet issued a response.