Heatwave death alert as calls for air conditioner law grow
The Government has been urged to "heatproof the NHS" after alarming research showed nearly 1,000 Brits died in hospitals and care homes last year owing to sweltering temperatures. House of Commons Library data revealed 496 fatalities in care facilities and 473 in hospitals, while more than 350 individuals died in their own homes during 2024.
The Liberal Democrats another heatwave, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures to hit 34°C in Gloucester – although Scotland is expected to escape the intense heat.
The issue extends beyond British borders, as Europe has endured scorching heat throughout the summer with the elderly bearing the brunt. Imperial College London research found that between June 23 and July 2, an overwhelming 88 per cent who died across the continent due to heatwave conditions were aged 65 and over.
While more than 470 people died from heat-related conditions in hospitals, this doesn't automatically mean they became unwell due to high temperatures inside NHS premises. Nevertheless, Lib Dem health and social care spokeswoman Helen Morgan branded the statistics "appalling".
"It is appalling to think of our most vulnerable dying in what are meant to be safe settings simply because this country is ill-equipped to deal with heatwaves," she said. "In light of soaring temperatures, the Government must ensure that our NHS and social care system are ready to keep people cool and well-cared for.
"This starts with a legal requirement for air conditioning or cooling heat pumps in care homes and a taskforce that delivers guaranteed cool wards in our hospitals, to prevent further unnecessary deaths."
Morgan also pointed out a significant increase in "overheating incidents" across NHS facilities. During 2023-24, there were 4,451 such cases – representing nearly 50 per cent more than the 2,980 recorded in 2016-17, reports the Mirror. These incidents are recorded whenever temperatures within a hospital or healthcare facility exceed 26°C.
As a result, the Lib Dems have called for new laws requiring care homes to install air-conditioning or alternative cooling systems. Sir Ed Davey's party is also advocating for a "crumbling hospitals taskforce" to explore ways of preventing NHS premises from reaching dangerous temperatures.
The Lib Dems believe that hospital management should be obliged to establish "cool wards" for patients at risk. This suggestion builds on the party's previous call for community "cool hub" – public venues equipped with air-conditioning to assist vulnerable individuals during extreme heat events.
The Liberal Democrats' calls came after former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown condemned the return of "60s-era poverty levels". He warned: "This problem is getting worse. It's going to worsen over the next few years because there's a built-in escalator in the poverty figures because of the two-child rule."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson hit back at the heat data claims, saying: "This reporting is misleading, alarmist and a wilful misrepresentation of data. The figures quoted refer to patients who have died from complications attributed to excess heat, not deaths caused by excess heat in NHS settings."
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