Our survey highlighting the extreme temperatures NHS staff were working in during June’s heatwave has made headlines in national and healthcare media.
Launched during June’s record-breaking heatwave, the rapid snapshot survey asked healthcare workers about their working conditions including the availability of air conditioning and ventilation, and the impact of excessive heat on staff wellbeing and patient care.
It also sought views on whether there should be a legal maximum working temperature in healthcare settings.
The initial findings, which are on our website, have been reported in several publications.
Maximum workplace temperature
They include the Daily Telegraph, which highlighted DAUK’s calls for a legal maximum workplace temperature.
The Morning Star focused on responses of NHS staff, who spoke about colleagues collapsing as workplaces reached 43C.
Meanwhile, Pulse, GP Online, and Management in Practice drew attention to the challenges faced by GP practices.
The survey has now been completed by more than 1,000 doctors and NHS staff.
Calls to improve conditions
The final results are being collated and will be sent to the health secretary with our calls for improving conditions for healthcare staff in the future. They will also be shared with media outlets.
We’re calling for:
- Legal maximum safe working temperatures for hospitals and GP surgeries
- Urgent investment in air conditioning and cooling mechanisms in hospitals
- Urgent investment in insulation and energy efficiency upgrades in hospital infrastructure so that temperatures remain constant all year round
- Standardised and transparent process for healthcare professionals to report high working temperatures
- Local plans for enhancing safe resting and cooling periods during hot temperature working, including cold water drinking facilities
- Urgent investment in urban and rural green space enhancement due to the impacts on local cooling and decarbonisation
- An accelerated focus on decarbonisation, with the climate crisis being treated as the number one threat to the health of the UK public, including an urgent public health education campaign on the impacts of climate change on health
Dr Matt Lee, DAUK sustainability lead, said: “Thank you to everyone who took the time completed the survey and share their experiences.
“Together we have highlighted the reality of working in the NHS during heatwaves with a national audience.
“The next step is for us share the results and the experiences of NHS staff with the health secretary and the Department of Health, and to press for safer conditions for workers and patients.”
We are a non-profit campaigning and lobbying organisation led by frontline doctors, for frontline doctors. We are volunteers and our collective aim is to give frontline workers a voice to be heard.
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