Nurses ‘Collapsing’ as NHS and Care Workplaces Reach Temperatures Above 30°C, RCN Warns

Nurses are collapsing at work, suffering dizziness and sickness and, in some cases, being admitted to hospital as soaring temperatures make conditions increasingly difficult across health and care settings, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned.

The union has raised concerns about nursing staff working in temperatures exceeding 30°C, with reports coming from hospitals, care homes and other healthcare workplaces as the UK experiences another period of extreme summer heat.

Some nursing staff have reported temperatures reaching more than 30°C on wards without air conditioning, while temperatures as high as 36°C have been recorded in healthcare workplaces. Staff have described feeling dizzy, nauseous and faint while attempting to continue caring for patients.

In one case reported to the RCN, a nurse collapsed from dehydration after working on an unventilated ward and was subsequently admitted to the same healthcare organisation. Two members of staff with pre-existing health conditions also reported suffering seizures associated with the heat.

The RCN said the conditions are not only affecting staff but are creating concerns about the welfare of patients, particularly those who may be more vulnerable to high temperatures.

Nurses have described some healthcare environments as “unbearably hot”, while concerns have also been raised about maintaining appropriate temperatures for medicines during periods of extreme heat.

Professor Nicola Ranger, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: “When nursing staff are collapsing, feeling dizzy, sick or even being admitted to the very hospitals they work in because their workplaces cannot handle the heat, it shows just how badly they are being failed.”

The RCN has called for greater investment to ensure health and care buildings are able to cope with increasingly high temperatures, including improvements to ventilation and cooling systems.

The union has previously warned that working in high temperatures can increase the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke and can increase the likelihood of accidents and injuries. It has also highlighted potential implications for patient safety where nursing staff are dehydrated or experiencing heat stress.

There is currently no legal maximum workplace temperature in the UK, although employers have responsibilities to provide a reasonable indoor temperature and assess and manage risks associated with working in high temperatures.

The warnings come as extreme heat continues across the UK, placing additional pressure on healthcare services while staff themselves attempt to work safely in increasingly difficult conditions.

The RCN said health and social care buildings must be better prepared for extreme temperatures, warning that staff cannot be expected to provide safe care while working in environments that are making them unwell.

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