How Record Heatwaves are affecting the Healthcare Industry

2026 has seen the UK experiencing unprecedentedly high temperatures, starting from back in spring and continuing through the summer. Near-emergency levels of heat can have a detrimental effect on not just the healthcare of hospital patients and care home residents, but also on the workflows and stress-levels of nurses and carers. A study conducted by the MET office even revealed that more than 2,700 deaths between the months of May and June 2026 can be attributed to the excess heat.

In short, while representing for some an opportunity to enjoy a more tropical climate, these heatwaves have had a huge impact on the lives of many living in the UK – especially for those working and requiring the services of the healthcare industry. In this article, we will tackle questions like how increasingly severe heatwaves affect healthcare, what healthcare providers across the country can do to become more resilient during these times, and how proper use of nurse call systems can aid them in doing so.

The UK’s record-breaking heatwaves of 2026

A heatwave is a prolonged period of unusually hot weather across a considerable amount of time (not, for instance, one particularly hot afternoon on a random day of the week). The Met Office actually uses specific temperature thresholds for different regions when defining UK heatwaves; what qualifies as a heatwave will therefore vary from location to location. The two defining attributes of a heatwave are typically its overall duration, and the peak temperature reached. 

The nature of the UK’s heatwaves in 2026 lies not in one particular instance of high temperatures throughout a couple of regions, but in widespread and longer lasting periods of heat that are affecting the whole country. The MET Office even reported earlier this year that temperatures of 35°C or higher had been recorded in all of May, June and July in the same year for the first time in recorded history – emphasising the extent to which these heatwaves are having an impact on everyday life.

Why is this happening?

To put it simply, these prolonged periods of more extreme heat are becoming more and more frequent, due to the longer term effects of climate change, in combination with some more common meteorological events like areas of pressure in the atmosphere. Several of these exceptionally high temperature periods, such as in June 2026, have been attributed to these factors by the MET Office – with human induced climate change a notable factor that points to these periods becoming more and more common in the future.

With this in mind, there is a clear healthcare implication that needs to be considered by all care providers. Extreme heat is a factor that can have a fairly significant impact on many different aspects of the healthcare industry, and these heatwaves are not necessarily the odd, flukey events that they used to be. The more common these heatwaves become over time, the more important it is for healthcare providers like hospitals and care homes to plan for them appropriately.

How heatwaves affect healthcare 

Now that we’ve covered the background context of why these heatwaves have become more prevalent in the UK, we can discuss all of the different ways they can negatively impact the healthcare experience of both patients and residents, and the nurses and carers that provide said services. 

1. Increased risks to patients

One of the more direct impacts of heatwaves in the healthcare sector, are on the actual health of your patients and residents. Certain temperature-related conditions like heat exhaustion, dehydration, and cardiovascular and respiratory issues show up more in patients during these times, while other existing chronic conditions can be made worse by these circumstances. Older residents in care homes are particularly vulnerable to all of these issues. 

The chain reaction of this generally lower quality of health in patients and residents, results in care staff needing to carry out things like observations and welfare checks far more often. You will also most likely see patients and residents calling for assistance far more often than normal via call buttons.

2. Greater demand on healthcare services

By way of affecting patients and care residents, heatwaves naturally create a much greater demand and strain on the UK’s healthcare services. All of the aforementioned heat-related illnesses lead to things like increased ambulance call-outs, A&E presentations and general admissions. This increased demand will also be happening at the same time that hospitals themselves are struggling with heat.

The NHS provides good evidence for these symptoms, reporting that in May 2026, NHS A&Es experienced their busiest month on record, with almost 2.46 million attendances – stating in no uncertain terms that this month’s heatwave contributed to the pressure.

The next month in June subsequently recorded an average of 81,264 A&E attendances per day – the first time the monthly daily average in the UK had exceeded 80,000.

3. Heat stress and pressure on healthcare staff

Patients and care residents aren’t the only individuals that can be detrimentally impacted by heatwaves – your nurses and care staff are humans, too, and can struggle in much the same ways that patients do. For example, healthcare staff are themselves susceptible to dehydration, fatigue, headaches and heat exhaustion – all while working in physically demanding roles that get harder in high temperatures. 

Things like concentration and decision-making may become weakened when staff are uncomfortable or fatigued, while poor sleep during very warm nights can contribute to fatigue before shifts even begin. On top of this, nurses and carers working with poorly-optimised nurse call systems may experience bouts of alarm fatigue, which can greatly impact their state of mind.

4. Overheating healthcare buildings

A more niche factor to consider, but one that is nonetheless still present, is that many UK hospitals and care homes are based in much older buildings that were not originally designed for today’s extreme temperatures. Some areas of these properties may lack comprehensive air conditioning or heat-resistance measures, while others may experience dramatically different temperatures. Other facilities may also be of completely different designs or sizes when compared to others, presenting unique requirements when it comes to dealing with heatwaves. 

Facilities teams working within older or differently-designed buildings therefore need to consider different measures to combat the heat, such as shading, ventilation, cooling, and other longer-term building adaptations.

5. Medical and electronic equipment

A final factor to consider is that several pieces of electronic equipment will have specified environmental operating ranges. This is relevant because prolonged exposure to high ambient temperatures can affect the performance of these pivotal pieces of tech. What’s more, the rooms that equipment is housed in, as well as cabinets and other poorly ventilated spaces can exacerbate these issues. It is also important to remember that things like servers, networks and communications infrastructure may require particular attention, since their performance can fluctuate more in hotter conditions.

As well as all the different pieces of healthcare technology, certain medicines, consumables and clinical supplies stored within hospitals and care homes have storage-temperature requirements that must be followed, and can be affected by higher ambient temperatures.

Why nurse call systems are important during heatwaves

Given the wide array of different issues that can arise in hospitals and care homes during a heatwave, affecting patients, nurses, and the infrastructure of these organisations themselves, having reliable support systems in place to keep things running smoothly is of the utmost importance. A modern nurse call system solution accomplishes just that by achieving the following things:

Protecting nurse call systems during extreme heat 

Like any other piece of healthcare equipment during a heatwave, or any piece of technology in general, extreme temperatures have been known to present some challenges to nurse call systems if proper maintenance needs are not met. To help protect this pivotal piece of equipment during a heatwave, we would advise all operators to ensure the following:

1. Always check your manufacturer’s specified operating and storage temperature ranges for the system (this goes for all pieces of medical technology, too).
2. Ensure controllers, power supplies, servers and other parts of the infrastructure have adequate ventilation.
3. Make sure to monitor temperatures in any and all enclosed system locations.
4. Inspect and maintain backup batteries according to your manufacturer recommendations.
5. Confirm the presence and reliability of any backup-power arrangements, while making sure to test them regularly.
6. Where relevant, make sure to include your nurse call system in higher-up conversations that are relevant to planning in the event of heatwaves.
7. Seek out opportunities to carry out preventative maintenance before periods of anticipated extreme weather.
8. Ensure that all of your staff know how to report any system issues quickly.
9. Review all of your nurse call system’s escalation procedures and contingency communications in the event of a fault.
10. Consider whether older infrastructure should be assessed for resilience against the conditions healthcare facilities increasingly experience.

Preparing healthcare facilities for future heatwaves

With heatwaves expected to become more frequent, it would be prudent for healthcare providers to consider extreme heat in their long-term plans. Rather than simply reacting when a heatwave occurs, hospitals and care homes can take a more proactive approach by reviewing their heatwave procedures, identifying their most vulnerable patients and residents, and training staff to ensure they understand what actions should be taken when Heat-Health Alerts are issued in the UK

Healthcare providers should also consider how effectively their buildings can remain cool, particularly in wards, bedrooms and other areas occupied by vulnerable people. Ventilation and cooling systems should be maintained appropriately, with indoor temperatures properly monitored. Staff welfare should be a key part of these plans, too, with appropriate access to drinking water, rest breaks and cooler areas provided during prolonged periods of high temperatures to help protect staff.

Finally, the resilience of the critical infrastructure of care organisations should be considered. Things like power supplies, IT systems, medical equipment, and communication technologies like nurse call systems all play a role in maintaining safe and effective care, and need to be properly maintained during a heatwave. Preventative maintenance actions and contingency procedures should be put in place to help healthcare organisations prepare for potential disruptions, and training practices should be put in place so that staff know what to do for a heatwave-relevant system fault.

Final thoughts on the UK’s record heatwaves

As the record-breaking heatwaves of 2026 have demonstrated, extreme temperatures can place additional pressure on pretty much every aspect of healthcare, from the wellbeing of patients and staff to the buildings, equipment and systems they rely upon. In a UK where record-high temperatures are becoming more and more common, it is therefore vital for hospitals and care homes to make heatwave resilience efforts a more significant part of their planning. While healthcare providers cannot prevent heatwaves from occurring, they can take steps to prepare for their effects. 

By learning from the exceptional conditions experienced in 2026 organisations can be better prepared to protect patients, support staff and maintain the essential systems on which high-quality care depends. Nurse call systems form an important part of this wider picture. If you would like to learn more about how Courtney Thorne’s own nurse call systems can support your hospital or care home during these particularly strenuous scenarios, get in touch with our team today to discuss your requirements.

Written by

Barry Vacher

Date

28.08.26