The NHS came under its most intense strain ever as a result of the summer’s five heatwaves, amid warnings that extreme heat is having an unprecedented impact on human health.
A&E units, ambulance services and the NHS 111 telephone advice line all experienced record demand for their services in England in June, July and August as Britain experienced record temperatures.
NHS England’s latest performance statistics, published on Thursday, prompted claims that the growing climate emergency has left the NHS with a “twin crisis” as it struggles to meet patients’ need for care in the summer as well as winter.
“Extreme heat is now an NHS pressure point, not just a weather story,” said Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of the King’s Fund health thinktank.
“The NHS is now facing a twin crisis, with summer joining winter as a major pressure on services and leaving little room for staff and the system to recover between peak periods.
“One major factor is climate change. As its effects become more pronounced and record-breaking heatwaves become more frequent, the impacts on people’s health and our health system are becoming more obvious,” she added.
Source: The Guardian, 10 September 2026
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