Welsh Lib Dems Call for Emergency Air Conditioning Rollout in Hospitals and Care Homes as Wales Faces Second Record-Breaking Heatwave
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to urgently fund the installation of air conditioning and cooling systems in hospitals, care homes and other settings housing vulnerable people, as Wales endures its second serious heatwave in the space of just weeks.
The call comes after temperatures in Wales reached a record-breaking 35.9°C during last week's heatwave, with forecasters warning that another period of extreme heat is now gripping the country. Scientists have repeatedly warned that climate change is making these extreme weather events more frequent and more intense, placing growing pressure on public services that were never designed to cope with such temperatures.
The need for action was underlined during last week's heatwave when several Welsh health boards was forced to declare a Critical Incident, citing the impact of the extreme temperatures. The health board said it was experiencing exceptional pressure because of increased emergency admissions for heat-related illness and, crucially, because it was unable to safely care for patients in some areas of its hospitals that were not air-conditioned. The incident highlighted how ageing NHS buildings are increasingly ill-equipped to cope with the hotter summers Wales is now experiencing.
At least 25 deaths have so far been attributed to June's heatwaves across the UK, with some scientific estimates saying it could be as high as 862. Experts believe the true figure is likely to be considerably higher once excess mortality data has been analysed. Heatwaves are often described as "silent killers" because extreme temperatures frequently worsen existing heart, lung and respiratory conditions, meaning many heat-related deaths such as heart attacks are not immediately recognised as such.
Public health data consistently show mortality rises during periods of extreme heat, particularly among older people and those with underlying health conditions, cardiovascular mortality rises by roughly 11% to 15% during extreme heat events.
The Welsh Liberal Democrats say hospitals and care homes should never be left in a position where patients' safety is compromised simply because buildings cannot be kept at a safe temperature. They are calling on the Welsh Government to establish an emergency capital fund to rapidly install air conditioning and modern cooling systems in hospitals, care homes and other facilities caring for vulnerable people.
The party also wants Ministers to conduct an urgent review of NHS and social care estates to identify buildings most at risk during future heatwaves and accelerate longer-term investment to make public buildings resilient to a changing climate as well as enhanced tree planting in urban areas to reduce heating.
Commenting, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said:
"Last week's record-breaking temperatures should have been a wake-up call, yet Wales is already facing another dangerous heatwave only days later. This cannot be treated as an isolated event anymore.
"For elderly people living in care homes, patients recovering in hospital and NHS staff working long shifts in sweltering conditions, these temperatures are not simply uncomfortable they are very dangerous.
"The Welsh Government must act now by rolling out emergency funding for modern cooling systems where they are needed most, while putting in place a long-term plan to future-proof our hospitals and care homes against the hotter summers we know are coming.
"Tackling climate change remains absolutely vital in the long term to avoid this weather becoming the long-term new normal, but we must also face the reality that it is already changing the world around us. Preparing our hospitals and care homes for more frequent extreme heat is no longer optional.”
ENDS