Doctors Have Reported Failures of Radiotherapy Machines and MRI Scanners, Overheated Wards, and Broken Cooling Units

Health secretary Yvette Cooper has warned that the NHS must prepare for annual summer crises caused by extreme heat, with pressures matching those of winter, as heatwaves driven by the climate crisis become routine in the UK. Speaking to the Guardian, Cooper said A&E staff were experiencing demand typically seen only during flu season, and that the government would use major investment in NHS infrastructure to improve resilience to high temperatures. England is on track to record its highest number of heat-related deaths this summer, with an estimated 2,877 people dying in the May and June heatwaves.

Doctors have reported failures of radiotherapy machines and MRI scanners, overheated wards, and broken cooling units. Cooper said she had discussed a public health awareness campaign with chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty, urging people to check on elderly relatives and young babies. The Climate Change Committee has called for all hospitals and care homes to have air conditioning within a decade, and all schools by 2050. Cooper added that cooling facilities would be part of the capital programme, noting, This is a new thing for the NHS to have to deal with. There is a remarkable determination of the NHS to respond, but we need much greater resilience.