As soaring temperatures are predicted this weekend, figures show NHS trusts covering Greater Manchester have already been dealing with hundreds of overheating incidents each year. With temperatures predicted to top 35C in parts of the UK this weekend, an amber warning for extreme heat has been issued for Sunday and Monday.
NHS trusts’ 'heatwave' plans prepare hospitals to take action if areas get too hot. There were 1,174 occasions in 2020/21, the most recent figures available, where temperatures in wards or other clinical areas in the area rose above 26C - the highest number in at least five years, according to NHS Digital.
When temperatures hit these heights, the government says a risk assessment should be carried out and appropriate action taken to ensure the safety of vulnerable patients. The number of overheating incidents at hospital trusts covering Greater Manchester has been steadily increasing in recent years - up from 700 in 2019/20, 657 in 2018/19, and 589 incidents in 2017/18.
