30C, the Royal College of Nursing Has Warned, With Some Staff Suffering Seizures and Describing Being "Dripping With Sweat From Head to Toe"

Nurses in the UK are collapsing on shift while treating patients in conditions exceeding 30C, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned, with some staff suffering seizures and describing being "dripping with sweat from head to toe" while working. With the UK on track for its warmest summer on record, the RCN compiled a series of testimonies to its advice line. One nurse in England reported collapsing from dehydration after working a long shift on a ward with no ventilation and was admitted to the same organisation where they worked.

Pregnant nurses said the temperatures they were forced to work in impacted their health, while two nurses with pre-existing conditions reported seizures due to excessive heat. One nurse told the RCN their workplace was "not fit for humans" while another described their working environment as "unbearably hot". Others reported broken air conditioning, fans or ventilation, with some saying they are unable to even open windows. Multiple nurses reported working in rooms where the temperature was in excess of 30C, with one saying they were forced to work in a place which was 36C.