Ambulance services must introduce summer plans to keep staff and patients safe in extreme temperatures, in the same way they prepare for winter pressures. UNISON says many emergency workers are expected to work in conditions harmful to their health, despite hotter summers becoming increasingly common.
The call follows a warning from the Doctors' Association UK, following June's heatwave, highlighting the dangers of extremely high temperatures for patients and healthcare staff.
Crews have told the union of being sent out in ambulances in stifling heat with faulty or no air conditioning, and often with limited access to drinking water or toilet facilities. This has occurred during shifts where staff have queued for hours outside hospitals to hand over patients, often in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Centigrade.
Ambulance workers also describe being ‘physically and mentally exhausted’ as they spend hours treating patients in care and private homes affected by unbearable heat.
Others are required to work for prolonged periods in the glare of direct sunlight at road traffic collisions and other major incidents, wearing heavy uniforms that aren’t designed for hot weather, says UNISON.
Workers describe completing back-to-back callouts with little opportunity to recover in between and often during shifts of at least 12 hours that frequently overrun. Others highlight the spike in demand for emergency care, as patients, particularly the elderly, suffer dehydration and heat-related illness.
Operational planning
UNISON says ambulance Trusts must draw up and introduce summer plans so staff and patients are protected during periods of hot weather, incorporating preparation for extreme heat as a routine part of operational planning, the union says. Plans must include guaranteed hydration and recovery breaks, proper access to drinking water, and clear policies to remove vehicles from service if air conditioning fails.
Trusts should also introduce seasonal uniform options, including lighter-weight clothing, shorts for staff who choose to wear them and sun hats for crews when working outdoors.
The union also backs the introduction of a maximum working temperature during increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.
UNISON national officer for ambulance Sharan Bandesha says: "Ambulance services have well-established plans for winter. It’s increasingly clear they’re needed for summer too.”
