Nurses across NHS hospitals are experiencing severe heat-related health problems amid an intense summer heatwave, raising concerns about the suitability of current healthcare facilities to cope with rising temperatures. Health leaders have reported incidents of staff collapsing, suffering seizures, dizziness, and dehydration while on duty.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has highlighted numerous cases in which nursing staff have worked in environments with temperatures reaching the 30s Celsius, describing the conditions as “not fit for humans.” The college criticized the lack of adequate ventilation and air conditioning across many NHS buildings, noting that windows often remain fixed shut and that fans or other cooling methods are infrequently employed. Uniform policies have also been blamed for compounding discomfort, with calls for greater flexibility to help staff cope in high temperatures.

In one reported instance, a nurse was admitted to the very hospital where she worked after collapsing from dehydration. Other staff members with pre-existing medical conditions have reportedly experienced seizures linked to the extreme heat within the workplace, underscoring the severity of the issue.

The situation has prompted calls from the RCN for NHS facilities to be better “heatproofed,” including the installation of air conditioning systems and improved ventilation to protect staff well-being. Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN, emphasized the urgency of the problem, stating that the collapse and hospitalization of nursing personnel at their workplaces demonstrated a significant failure in accommodating staff health and safety during extreme temperatures.

Earlier this month, Health Secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the increased strain that the heatwave has placed on NHS services. She highlighted that demand for emergency care and ambulance responses had risen as a result of heat-related health problems, particularly among vulnerable elderly populations. Cooper described the efforts of healthcare workers as “remarkable” and emphasized the need for the NHS to prepare for summer challenges with the same diligence as during winter periods.

The heatwave has exposed broader concerns about the NHS’s ability to adapt infrastructure and working conditions to a changing climate, with staff safety and patient care increasingly under pressure during periods of extreme weather.