Temperatures have now hit record highs today as the heatwave unfolds across the country. NHS chiefs have sounded alarm bells that an already stretched system, dealing with ever-increasing demand on A&Es combined with a rising Covid tide, will suffer as people are hit with heat-related illnesses and injuries.
The infrastructure of the NHS will also be challenged as the heat reaches its peak and staff frantically try to keep patients and wards cool. Figures show NHS trusts covering Greater Manchester have already been dealing with hundreds of overheating incidents each year.
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.
