13 Aug 2026
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is calling for urgent investment to protect health and care buildings, staff and patients from increasingly extreme temperatures.
The RCN says calls to its helpline have included reports of nursing staff collapsing from dehydration, experiencing heat-related seizures and working in temperatures above 30°C. Some staff reported having no access to functioning air conditioning, fans or adequate ventilation.
Concerns have also been raised about older and vulnerable patients being cared for in hot, poorly ventilated rooms and surgical patients recovering in temperatures exceeding 30°C. In some cases, medicines, blood products and clinical equipment have had to be moved to prevent them from overheating.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, said parts of the NHS and social care estate were “utterly unprepared for extreme temperatures” following decades of underinvestment.
The RCN is calling for improved ventilation and air conditioning, access to drinking water, heat-appropriate uniforms and effective risk assessments, particularly for pregnant or vulnerable workers. It has also highlighted the needs of community-based staff, who may spend extended periods travelling in hot vehicles and walking long distances while carrying heavy equipment.
Although there is no legal maximum workplace temperature, employers have a duty to provide a safe working environment and maintain reasonable temperatures.
