27.07.18
Staff struggling to cope with record A&E numbers due to unprecedented heatwave
Hospitals across the country are “back to winter conditions” in dealing with record A&E numbers due to an unprecedented stint of hot weather this summer, NHS chiefs have said.
Following the hottest day of the year yesterday, with temperatures reaching as high as 35C in London, increased numbers in hospital wards due to heat-related illnesses including sunstroke, sunburn, and heat rash are taking a toll on NHS staff; many of whom are on holiday at this time of the year.
Deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said the heatwave has meant that hospitals, community, mental health and ambulance services are “back to winter conditions” due to record numbers of A&E visitors and shortened staff due to the school holiday period, which for many started last week.
“Some trusts are reporting record numbers of people coming in to A&E, with increased emergency admissions, often for respiratory problems and conditions made worse by dehydration,” said Cordery.
She added that health bosses have heard concerns about large numbers of people from care homes requiring treatment, and the extra activity is leading to delays for patients requiring planned operations such as knee and hip operations.
Cordery’s comments come after news that the number of visits to NHS help sites have skyrocketed for heat-related health advice: NHS Digital said the 230,611 visits on the website’s heat exhaustion page up to 23 July have quadrupled compared to the whole of July last year.
Hospital staff members in overheated hospitals ‘is a health risk’
Nursing staff working in hospitals during the heatwave are at risk of serious conditions and can make critical mistakes, the RCN has said.
RCN professional lead for acute, emergency, and critical care Anna Crossley said nursing staff working 12-hour shifts in stifling heat with no access to water is dangerous for themselves and the patients they care for.
She noted: “Dehydration also affects cognition, which could lead to mistakes. Hospital management should allow water bottles on shift so staff can stay hydrated and make sure they have breaks. This is an issue of patient safety.”
NHS Providers deputy chief executive Saffron Cordery added: “The extreme heat has also highlighted the shortcomings of ageing buildings which are not designed or equipped to deal with these conditions. Staff and patients are paying the price now for past decisions to delay investment in the NHS estate.”
“Staff and patients are paying the price now for past decisions to delay investment in the NHS estate.”
The heatwave has seen temperatures on some wards reach more than 30 degrees.
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Image credit: Andrew Matthews, PA Images