The NHS Alliance has urged the government to prioritise capital investment in the NHS estate, warning that recurring heat-health alerts are exposing the limitations of ageing healthcare infrastructure and making it more difficult for staff to deliver safe, high-quality care.
Responding to the latest heat-health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Matthew Hopkins, interim acute and ambulance network director at the NHS Alliance, said rising temperatures would increase demand on NHS services while highlighting the vulnerability of many healthcare facilities.
Hopkins said extreme heat presents health risks for people of all ages, particularly older people who are more susceptible to fainting, falls and respiratory problems during periods of high temperatures.
He also warned that years of underinvestment have left many NHS buildings ill-equipped to cope with hotter weather, citing poor ventilation and a lack of air conditioning in older facilities.
According to Hopkins, these conditions affect both staff and patients, reducing wellbeing and making it more challenging for healthcare providers to maintain productivity and deliver high-quality care.
The comments come as the UKHSA continues to issue heat-health alerts across parts of England, warning that elevated temperatures pose increased health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups, and can place additional strain on health and care services.
Hopkins said long-term capital investment would be essential to create a more resilient NHS estate capable of withstanding increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.
"It’s vital that capital funding is given due priority in building a sustainable NHS for the future, one where severe heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent," said Hopkins.
The warning follows growing concern over the resilience of NHS buildings during periods of extreme heat, with experts highlighting the risks that overheating poses to patients, staff and critical clinical services.
