One nurse reported seeing maggots in wounds as patients deteriorated in “suffocating atmospheres” during the summer heat on NHS wards.
The survey of 2,471 nurses for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) found that high temperatures affected care, with examples of poorer outcomes for patients.
The results have prompted the RCN to call for more government investment so hospitals can better cope in warm weather.
According to a nurse surveyed, the children’s ward in Yorkshire reached 44C, while one in the North West said the situation was “horrendous” with patients “suffering more from the effects of heat than the actual reason they are in hospital”.
Another said patients fainted, and other patients suffered dehydration, particularly older people.
One common theme in the survey was the effect on people with heart failure and respiratory conditions, who seemed to fare worse because of the heat.
A nurse in the East of England described “patients with heart failure sitting in over 30C heat and a new ward with blocked windows”.
A nurse in Wales said: “We had two frail patients for whom the extreme heat directly impacted their deaths.
“Whilst it was not the only cause, if you are in respiratory failure, the heat is a death sentence.”
In one London hospital, a nurse said the heat contributed to increased respiratory distress in newborn babies.
Another in a South East NHS hospital said high temperatures meant “wounds heal slower, mobility declines, and the simple act of resting becomes a battle against suffocating heat”.
A palliative care nurse working in a South West hospital said “we had a palliative patient with chronic ulcers on the ward.
“In the hospital’s care, during the last heatwave, the wounds festered enough that they attracted flies and were found to have maggots.
“Some of his and his relatives’ last memories will be knowing of and, in his case, feeling maggots in his wounds.”
A nurse treating cancer patients in London said: “I’ve seen patients sweating and dripping due to the heat during chemotherapy.
“There is no air conditioning running in the unit. During one particularly hot period, patients were visibly sweating throughout their treatment. This feels like a safety concern, not just a comfort issue.”
Another nurse said: “I have actually cried for them [patients]. It’s inhumane. I don’t think a veterinary surgeon would be allowed to operate under such conditions.”
Multiple nurses also reported mental health patients becoming more challenging, leading to more assaults on staff.
Some 74 per cent of those polled said they had little or no confidence that the government was taking sufficient action to reduce the impact of climate change on the NHS and social care.
Freedom of Information figures released earlier this month suggested more than 1,000 operations at NHS hospitals were cancelled because of the heat during record-breaking heatwaves in May and June.
Temperatures in the UK reached 35C during May, June, July and August, the first time this has happened.
RCN chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger said: “This testimony reveals the devastating impact of extreme heat on patients, with increased death, deterioration, and conditions in services which, frankly, are an assault on people’s right to dignified, safe care.
“The reality is that climate change is here, but long-term underinvestment in our health and care services has left them so unprepared.
“Staff did everything they could in record-breaking temperatures to keep patients safe and comfortable, but they were fighting a losing battle in buildings which often lack even the most basic cooling facilities. It’s been incredibly traumatic.
“We are all aware of the pressures that winter brings, but extreme heat is here to stay, and the clock is now ticking to accelerate investment in hospitals, care homes and other settings to ensure they are prepared.
“This summer was our warning. By next, we need everywhere to have effective cooling facilities in place, or patients will suffer shocking harm once again.”
The Department of Health has been contacted for comment.
