UK Nurses Report Seizures, Collapses in Overheated Hospitals

Nurses across the United Kingdom are collapsing, suffering seizures, and working in conditions described as inhumane as hospitals and care homes struggle to cope with record-breaking summer heatwaves, the Royal College of Nursing has warned. The professional body reported that temperatures in some clinical areas have exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, with one Welsh hospital room reaching 35 degrees Celsius due to a broken air conditioning unit. The RCN has called for urgent investment in cooling and ventilation, stating that the NHS estate is not prepared for the increasingly extreme temperatures linked to climate change.

The warnings come during the UK's fifth heatwave of the summer, with an amber heat warning in force for large parts of England and temperatures forecast to reach 36 degrees Celsius or higher. The RCN compiled testimonies from its advice line detailing severe impacts on staff and patients. One nurse in England collapsed from dehydration after a long shift on a ward without ventilation and was admitted to the same hospital where they worked. Two nurses with pre-existing conditions reported seizures brought on by the heat, while pregnant staff members expressed...