ospitals will be “really, really pushed” in the coming days heat wavehas been warned.
It comes as scorching temperatures may reach 41C in parts of the UK on Monday and Tuesday early next week.
Lord Victor Adebowale, the chairman of the NHS Confderation, said the NHS “will cope”, but “compete is not good enough”.
The NHS is facing the latest challenges due to the heat wave, Covid and social concerns.
Over the next few days, he told Times Radio: “My members are pretty tense right now. Ambulances are running at their peak, waiting times for ambulances are now getting longer.
“We’re going to get really, really pushed and it’s not just the red alert, the heat wave. We are dealing with Covid which is causing illness in our ambulance crews and that is one of the reasons we have vacancies. And we also have a challenge for social care, which is that we can’t get people out of the hospital because social care is on its knees.”
He added: “The NHS will be able to handle it, but dealing with it is not good enough. We need to work so that people get the treatment they need, wherever they are needed, on time. And that is a struggle.”
Lord Victor Adebowale expressed concern about hospital and general practitioner buildings not being built for the heat.
He said: “It’s not just hospitals, I have to mention the primary care physicians. Many of them are in old buildings where they don’t have proper air conditioning or fans.”
More call handlers, fleet support and extra hours of capacity within ambulances have been set for the hot period.
Steve Barclay told the BBC: “The clear message to the public is to take the sensible steps in terms of water, shade and cover, which many people are aware of. That is the best way to combat the heat.
“We ask people to keep an eye out for their neighbors and those who may be vulnerable.
“We are also deploying additional emergency aid.”
Elsewhere, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said people need to be resilient enough to “enjoy the sun.”
Mr Raab urged people to take “common sense” precautions as temperatures rise.
“Of course there’s some common sense and practical advice we’re talking about — stay hydrated, stay out of the sun in the hottest times, wear sunscreen — that sort of thing,” he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday program.
“We should be enjoying the sun and actually we should be resilient enough through some of the pressure it will exert.”