NHS Must Plan for Heatwaves Like Winter, Cooper Says
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- Yvette Cooper told LBC Radio and the Guardian that the NHS must prepare for summer pressures with the same planning applied to winter, after A&E staff reported a "big increase" in heat-linked patients normally seen only in colder months.
- Hospitals reported disruption from key equipment including scanners and IT systems failing in the heat, with older sites particularly affected and staff facing difficult working conditions.
- The UK registered its 34th day of temperatures reaching 30C (86F) or higher on Tuesday, equalling a record set in 1995, with forecasts suggesting it could be beaten as early as next week and the potential for a sixth heatwave.
- The UK Health Security Agency estimated 2,877 heat-related deaths during the May and June heatwaves — almost double the figure for the whole of last year — and said it is "likely" 2026 could surpass the 2022 record.
- Unison released testimonies from ambulance workers describing "vile" conditions, including faulty or absent air conditioning, limited access to drinking water and toilets, and hours-long hospital handovers in stifling temperatures.
- An ambulance technician from Birmingham told the union that performing CPR for 40 minutes in the heat was "ten-times harder," with crews forced to wear the same uniform whether temperatures were -10C or 30C.
Why it matters: Cooper's directive reframes heatwaves from a weather story into a systemic NHS planning problem, requiring summer surge capacity — equipment resilience, ambulance welfare, and elderly-prevention programs — alongside existing winter protocols. The UKHSA's estimate of 2,877 deaths across just May and June, nearly double last year's full-year total, makes that planning gap urgent.
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