Health secretary urged to intervene as GP practices report ‘dangerously hot’ workplaces
The health secretary has been asked to take ‘immediate action’ to protect GPs and staff amid the latest heatwave as practices report ‘dangerously hot’ workplaces.
The Doctors Association UK (DAUK) has written to James Murray requesting ‘rapid, proactive measures’ to keep staff and patients safe during the heatwave as temperatures once again climbed above 30°C last week.
It has reiterated its call for a legal maximum safe working temperature as well as urgent investment in cooling mechanisms such as air conditioning and energy efficiency, and they have asked the heath secretary to encourage employers to treat high air temperatures as ‘significant health risks’.
This comes as the DAUK recorded the experiences of healthcare professionals working during last month’s heatwave in a survey of 1,111 respondents, including 117 GPs.
The survey revealed that 83.3% of respondents described their workplace as ‘very hot’ or ‘dangerously hot’.
More than two-thirds (68%) felt the heat had affected patient care and safety and 86.9% said they or their colleagues had felt unwell because of the heat.
Among the 117 GP respondents, 77 reported no air conditioning in their GP surgery (65.81%) and 95 (81.2%) described their workplace as either ‘very hot’ or ‘dangerously hot’.
There were reports of staff experiencing dizziness, fainting, vomiting, headaches, heat exhaustion and inability to sleep between shifts.
One primary care respondent said: ‘The only part of our surgery that has air conditioning is dispensary.
‘Today I closed my consulting room blinds, opened my window and used a fan which had no effect.
‘I consulted with my feet resting on an ice pack. Despite this, as the morning progressed, I felt increasingly unwell.
‘I vomited in staff toilets and informed management that I was going home.’
Another primary care respondent described how all their blood bottles needed to be destroyed ‘due to the temperatures’.
Practice nurses also reported ‘unsafe working conditions’ due to the heatwave, with one senior nurse escalating the concerns of clinicians and asking for ‘cooling gadgets’.
However, she was told ‘patients were the priority and not clinicians’.
Another nurse reported that patients were being harmed by the heat, by nurse exhaustion, and by the lack of cold drinking water.
One respondent reporting feeling ready to ‘quit’ nursing because of feeling unwell.
They wrote: ‘Patients and relatives have complained. On one occasion a relative had to leave my clinic due to heat making them feel [unwell].
‘I felt dehydrated, had headache and my ability to complete my assessment related admin was so slow, I have had to work in my own time on day off… I am getting ready to quit nursing all together.’
As well as protective measures for staff and patients, DAUK has urged the Government to take an ‘accelerated programme of high impact climate crisis education and action’.
The organisation called for a public health campaign, as well as an acceleration of the UK’s decarbonisation targets and restoration of greenspaces.
In the letter to Mr Murray, DAUK’s sustainability lead Dr Matthew Lee said: ‘As healthcare professionals, we will never abandon our patients and urge you not to do the same by taking rapid, proactive measures to keep patients and staff safe in heatwaves.
‘You can be the Government to prevent these stories being repeated. A failure to act will cost even more lives.
‘We, and others in the healthcare community, are ready to support you to take bold action to keep us all safe and we welcome a meeting to discuss these challenges and their solutions further.’
Calls were also made by public union Unison urging health and social care employers across the South East to ‘do more’ to protect staff and patients during the heatwave.
The union says NHS trusts and care providers must ‘prepare better’ for periods of extreme heat
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘In the face of record temperatures, healthcare staff have continued to deliver for patients, and we are grateful for their dedication and care.
‘All NHS Trusts are required to have effective arrangements to manage adverse weather for both patients and staff, and our 10 Year Capital Plan makes a commitment to renew our focus on climate resilience across NHS infrastructure, including making sure new hospitals are designed to be climate resilient. We are also investing £6.75 billion to tackle the most serious safety problems across the NHS estate, including risks to cooling and ventilation.
‘We would like to remind people that the hot weather can pose significant risks to people’s health, and we encourage everyone to take care and follow advice on staying safe when temperatures are high.’
A version of this article was first published by Pulse’s sister title Nursing in Practice
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