Cooper: NHS Must Plan for Heatwaves Like Winter
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- Yvette Cooper told LBC Radio the NHS must prepare for summer pressures "in the same way we prepare for winter," citing A&E staff reports of a "big increase" in heat-linked admissions that they said would normally only appear in winter
- UK registered its 34th day of temperatures reaching 30C (86F) or higher this year on Tuesday, equalling the 1995 calendar-year record, with forecasts suggesting the record could fall as early as next week and a sixth heatwave potentially developing
- Hospitals have reported disruption as scanners, IT systems, and other equipment failed in the heat, with older sites creating difficult working conditions for staff
- UK Health Security Agency estimated 2,877 heat-related deaths during the May and June heatwaves — nearly double the total for all of last year — and warned 2026 could surpass 2022's record
- Cooper singled out the elderly and vulnerable as most at risk during heatwaves, calling for stronger prevention alongside emergency-response planning
Why it matters: Cooper's framing recasts heatwaves as a recurring NHS planning cycle rather than an anomaly — a notable institutional shift given the UK has already equalled its 1995 record for 30C days, UKHSA estimates 2,877 heat-related deaths in just two months this summer, and forecasters see another heatwave forming as early as next week.
