Ambulance services are facing the sort of pressures normally expected in winter, a health minister has said as the country is gripped by a heatwave. Maria Caulfield told the Commons “it’s extremely concerning for the months ahead,” adding she would be “meeting all 11 ambulance trusts over the coming days to make sure they have the capacity and resilience they need”.
The Met Office has issued warnings for ‘extreme heat’ as temperatures in Greater Manchester are expected to reach more than 30C next week, with a sweltering 35C expected elsewhere in the South of England. Caulfield insisted the Government is “making sure that all NHS trusts are prepared” for the hot weather.
Answering an urgent question from Labour about ambulance services and the declaration of a national heatwave emergency, she added there are extra ambulance services with a total value of £30 million on standby to provide support to the ambulance response across the country if needed. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting blamed 12 years of Conservative underfunding for leaving the emergency services “unable to cope” with the further pressure caused by the “extreme weather.”
