Nurses are fainting mid-shift in what their union calls “inhumane and impossible” conditions, as the UK swelters through a record-breaking summer of extreme heat. Andy Burnham, the man in charge, has promised to address “the bigger questions” of climate adaptation - just as soon as he finishes dealing with today's emergencies, which, to be fair, are also caused by climate change.
Speaking after a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee, Burnham dodged the question of whether the summer might warrant reconsidering new North Sea drilling. Instead, he assured the public: “It is really important that we deal today with the situation that we are in right now and we focus on making sure that we have the serious incidents under control across the country.” Translation: Let's not get ahead of ourselves; there's a heatwave to survive first. “The bigger questions obviously will come at the right moment in time,” he added, presumably when the planet stops feeling like a sauna.
Meanwhile, an amber heat warning is set to blanket large parts of England from Thursday morning, with temperatures expected to hit 36C or higher. Rail operators are advising passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary - because nothing says 'essential journey' like melting on a train platform. Three-quarters of England is now officially in drought, and firefighters are battling a blaze in the New Forest, with parts of Scotland on high alert for wildfires.
With the UK already breaking records for days above 30C (35 and counting), the Royal College of Nursing has joined the chorus of unions warning about unsafe working conditions. The RCN reports staff collapsing, feeling dizzy, nauseous, or at risk of fainting while dripping with sweat “from head to toe.” They're also tasked with keeping elderly patients safe and medications cool - because why not add a little extra pressure to a pressure cooker?
One 37-year-old nurse in an NHS critical care unit in the south-west told the Guardian her ward hit over 30C: “Our ward doesn’t have air conditioning, and so we’re all really struggling. We’ve had hot summers before, but I can’t remember ever working in conditions like these back to back.” Another nurse in a community health centre added: “It gets to the point you dread going to work, especially when wearing PPE and providing patient care. We drip with sweat from head to toe.”
Prof Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s general secretary and chief executive, called the testimonies a “wake-up call” and demanded an urgent programme to install air conditioning, improve ventilation, and provide heat-appropriate uniforms. The Fire Brigades Union has also warned that firefighters need new gear to face the growing wildfire threat.
A freedom of information request by the Guardian revealed that just 20 staff are working on climate adaptation within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - which is about as many as you'd need to run a small office, not a national strategy. The government's own climate change adaptation committee has warned that the UK is lagging far behind in preparing for a new climate.
Burnham floated the idea of banning disposable barbecues, which are a known fire risk, and suggested retailers should pull them from shelves. “Longer term we will look at whether a temporary ban in the summer months is justified,” he said. Because nothing says 'long-term thinking' like waiting for the next inferno.
Labour MP Chris Hinchliff, who has been nagging Burnham about climate preparedness, called for immediate action: “This summer has to be a real wake-up call for Westminster.” Some Labour MPs are privately worried that Burnham doesn't grasp the urgency. “Adaptation has always been the poor relation in government,” one MP said. “Look how much better we are at getting energy projects off the ground than reservoirs.”
Others criticized Burnham for taking too long to convene Cobra. One MP suggested he should be making as many TikTok videos about climate as he does about the cost of living crisis. Hinchliff, MP for North East Hertfordshire, summed it up: “It’s a well-recognised fact that our country was built for a climate that no longer exists. It’s putting enormous pressure on our infrastructure, our railways, our schools, our hospitals, and it threatens a real impact on people’s living standards. This has to be one of the top priorities for government.”
Another MP, ever the strategist, suggested Burnham should “lean into climate adaptability” and let Nigel Farage be the “pro-wildfire politician.” Because if there's one thing politics needs, it's a fire-breathing opposition.
Health and social care secretary Yvette Cooper acknowledged the strain: “The extreme heat is hitting public health and our NHS. Across the NHS and social care, staff are doing a remarkable job to respond to rising A&E attendances and ambulance call-outs, heat problems among the elderly and difficult working conditions.” She added that the NHS must now “plan for summer pressures in the way we currently plan for winter pressures,” including making buildings more resilient. So, next step: build hospitals that don't double as greenhouses.