‘Conditions are awful’ inside NHS sites, physician warns amid heatwave

Jordan Reynolds, Press Association

A physician has warned “conditions are awful” due to overcrowding and another said two machines used to treat cancer had stopped amid this week’s heatwave.

It comes after a rare red warning for extreme heat was issued by the Met Office as the heatwave brought record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday.

Provisional figures suggest the temperature reached 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, on Wednesday, breaking the previous June record from the summer of 1976.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) said doctors have described severe, unsustainable pressure on the workforce, with very few settings having air conditioning, staff “really struggling” and resident doctors battling the heat while sleep deprived.

The RCP also said there have been reports of patients on geriatric wards facing temperatures of up to 35C and one physician saying their care setting is “unfit to cope” with the heat.

One physician said their hospital had “called a critical incident due to multiple areas with machine problems”, the RCP said.

Testing laboratories were in difficulty and two linear accelerator machines, used to treat cancer, had stopped due to the heat, according to the RCP.

They were working in a relatively new care setting “tacked on to an old Victorian hospital”, creating further infrastructure challenges.

“It’s hopeless really,” they said.

They also faced “major issues” with their IT servers because of the temperatures. They said: “We thought we were going to lose everything, so we were all asked to turn off non-essential computers and electrical equipment, including lights.”

Another physician said: “Lots of people, especially older patients, are turning up having collapsed or with dehydration.

“In terms of inpatients, the conditions are awful due to overcrowding. Very few places have air conditioning and staff are really struggling.”

A 2025 snapshot survey of RCP members found 58% of physicians feel their workplace is unprepared for extreme weather events, while 75% are concerned about the impact of climate change on the health of their patients.

Dr Hilary Williams, RCP clinical vice-president, said: “This week, physician colleagues across the country have told us the significant impact the heat is having on them, their patients and their teams.

“There are reports of older patients arriving at hospital having collapsed or with dehydration. Patients are facing overcrowding, and there are issues with machines, laboratories and kidney dialysis – all fundamental to providing safe patient care.

“The impact of heatwaves on staff cannot be overstated. There is a sense of foreboding when we see the weather forecast, because we know what is to come, and there is very little staff can do.

“It is not as simple as buying fans, which can present a fire risk when used alongside oxygen, and may increase the spread of infection. The NHS is already facing enormous pressure from rising demand and workforce shortages. Coupled with an ageing estate, these challenges intensify during extreme weather.

“As clinicians, there are immediate steps we can take to protect patients, such as reviewing medications that affect hydration and ensuring they are stored appropriately.

“But this must be matched by system-level change – strengthening infrastructure and embedding resilience into NHS reform. Buildings must be upgraded to withstand extreme heat and other climate risks.

“Hospitals should be places of safety, not settings where extreme heat puts patients and staff at risk.”