Nurses collapse in hospital heat as A&E pressure rises
Nurses are collapsing due to extreme heat in hospitals, while new monthly statistics reveal ongoing pressure on A&E departments.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
New monthly NHS statistics published in the last hour show that 2.49 million people attended A&E in July alone, an average of 80,244 patients every day. That is slightly lower than June, when 81,263 patients attended per day, which remains the busiest month on record. The figures come as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reports that nurses are collapsing at work and being forced to care for patients in temperatures over 30 degrees.
According to the RCN, temperatures in some wards have reached 36 or 37 degrees. Nurses have described being dripping head to toe in sweat and have raised concerns about wearing PPE, which adds extra heat. The RCN also reports that nurses have collapsed and had to be treated by the teams they were meant to be working alongside. Pregnant nurses have said the heat is affecting their health, and two nurses with pre-existing conditions have reported seizures due to excessive heat.
The RCN is blaming buildings with no air conditioning or broken air conditioning, ageing buildings, and a state of disrepair. They are asking for action to fix these issues. The new Health and Social Care Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has said staff do a remarkable job and that the NHS needs to start looking at summer proofing as well as winter proofing buildings, and to bring in measures to cope with heat pressures.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| A&E attendance in July was 2.49 million, with a daily average of 80,244, slightly lower than June's record. | |
| The Royal College of Nursing reported nurses collapsing and having seizures due to excessive heat in hospitals. | |
| Yvette Cooper said NHS staff do a remarkable job and the health service needs summer proofing as well as winter proofing. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News led with the latest A&E attendance figures, then moved to the RCN report on nurses collapsing in heat. The tone was factual and concerned, highlighting the human impact on staff and patients. It also included a brief mention of a separate drowning story, but the main focus remained on the NHS pressures and the need for action.
- “Temperatures in some wards apparently getting up to 36 or 37 degrees.”
- “Nurses describing being dripping head to toe in sweat, being concerned about putting on PPE, the extra heat that that will generate.”
- “They're blaming buildings with no aircon or broken aircon, ageing buildings and a state of disrepair, and they're asking for action to help fix those issues.”
Broadcast Timeline
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