n NHS doctor has warned that the heat wave and the wave of cases of Covid-19 in England lead to a “nightmare” for health professionals.
dr. Claire Bronze, 38, an A&E consultant in Londonsaid she is concerned about the effect the warm weather will have on patients and staff.
She told the PA news agency: “We have people waiting in the emergency room for up to two days in a row for a bed in the hospital.
“We have ambulances queuing to get in, we’ve seen a lot of Covid cases again, and then there’s the heat.
“All these things are happening that are a bit of a nightmare and we’re concerned about the implications for patients and staff.”
On Friday the With Office warned that lives could be at risk as it is likely that a record temperature could be reached in the UK early next week.
The red warning from the Met Office, for Monday and Tuesday, covers an area from London to… Manchester and the valley of York.
The public has been warned to watch out for sunburn and heat exhaustion, with changes in work practices and daily routines recommended.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 infections in the UK have risen by nearly 800,000 in a week, with some parts of the country approaching spring record levels.
dr. Bronze said: “A lot of hospital buildings are very old, especially in London, and many have no air conditioning and windows that don’t open – so they are extremely hot.
“Some employees still have to wear personal protective equipment – so plastic coats, masks, gloves – on top of their normal uniform, which, as you can imagine, means that people will quickly become very warm and dehydrated.
“Staff are struggling to take breaks because it’s so busy, and on top of that, so many employees are currently sick due to Covid.
“Our workforce is already absolutely wiped out and then with the heat, we’re quite concerned about that.”
On Wednesday, Ruth May, the chief nurse for England, tweeted a statement about reports that some staff were being told not to drink water while on duty.
She wrote: “I’ve heard reports of some #teamCNO colleagues being told not to drink water in nursing stations.
“It is critical that all nursing, midwifery and care personnel are able to drink water and stay hydrated while on duty at nursing stations or other convenient locations.”
dr. Bronze welcomed the statement, adding that access to water should be “obvious.”
She said: “I was happy to see the people at the top say it’s important for staff to have access to water.
“Saying that the staff should be able to drink water should be the most obvious thing.
“Luckily I have access to a lot of water where I work, but I think it’s very different from place to place.
“Most of us have been advised to keep our patients safe, so making sure everyone has access to water… we’re really making a conscious effort to give them more fluids.”
As temperatures rise, Dr. Bronze said she’s most concerned about the elderly and those who sleep poorly, who struggle to find shade due to mobility issues.
“The big concern, especially in cities like London, is for homeless people who may be trapped in places where they cannot get water or where they may not be able to get out of the heat,” she added.
“The elderly, children and rough sleepers are the ones we really worry about.”