UK Nurses Report 'Inhumane' Heat in Hospitals as Heatwave Grips Country

As the UK faces its fifth heatwave this year, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has highlighted that temperatures in hospitals and care facilities are exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, leading to staff members collapsing due to the harsh conditions. The RCN labeled the circumstances as 'inhumane', pointing out that many establishments lack air conditioning, fans, or even windows that can be opened. Nicola Ranger, the RCN general secretary and chief executive, remarked that hospitals and social care facilities are 'completely unprepared for extreme temperatures', rendering them 'an impossible and inhumane environment for both workers and patients'. On Thursday, certain regions of the UK are projected to hit 38 degrees Celsius, and the Met Office has cautioned that this summer may become the hottest on record. Prime Minister Andy Burnham held an emergency COBR meeting on Wednesday to discuss the strain on emergency responders and farmers. Ranger stressed that climate change poses 'a serious threat to people's health and the services they depend on'.