How to build a heatproof NHS

AI Summary

The article examines how NHS facilities can adapt to increasingly severe UK heatwaves, after indoor temperatures in some buildings exceeded 41°C. It cites projections of hotter summers, widespread overheating in homes and hospitals, and increased heat-related hospital attendance, alongside warnings that NHS buildings are poorly equipped.

Temperatures inside NHS buildings reached more than 41°C this summer, so how can the health service cope with hotter heatwaves?How hot could the UK get?Research suggests that British summers could reach 45°C by 2056.1The effects on health of this kind of heat is stark. In May the government’s UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned that heatwaves in 2050 will see 92% of UK homes overheat, creating “dangerous conditions for vulnerable people.”2The committee also warned that the 2°C global average temperature increase expected by 2050 could triple heat related hospital attendances and admissions.Are NHS buildings equipped to cope with the heat?In summary, no.A 2025 report from the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change warned that the NHS was dangerously ill equipped to combat rising temperatures.3 It pointed out that more than 90% of NHS buildings in England are vulnerable to overheating, with some hospital wards recording indoor temperatures above 30°C even...