{"text":[[{"start":9.35,"text":"Hospitals across Britain have been forced to reduce services owing to the record-breaking heatwave, with warnings that thousands of operations were at risk of cancellation. "}],[{"start":19.35,"text":"Britain saw its highest June temperature on record on Wednesday, with the mercury approaching 36C in southern England. An official warning for extreme heat has been extended until Saturday. "}],[{"start":31.35,"text":"Modelling from academics at Birmingham University suggested up to 4,000 surgeries risked being cancelled over the four hottest days this week because of staff shortages, unsafe operating environments and an influx of additional patients owing to the heatwave. "}],[{"start":47.25,"text":"Both the East Surrey Hospital and the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board have declared critical incidents, with the latter warning that hospitals were facing “exceptional demand” and that a lack of air conditioning meant some clinical areas were no longer safe. "}],[{"start":62.9,"text":"Patients were told to only attend emergency departments if their condition was “life threatening” or if they had a “very serious” injury."}],[{"start":71,"text":"The Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth also declared a critical incident on Wednesday, warning that a “loss of cooling capacity” had led to elevated temperatures, affecting “critical clinical services, including theatres, cardiac catheter laboratories (cath labs) and diagnostic scanning facilities”. "}],[{"start":88.85,"text":"University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust warned that some of its hospital buildings were operating without air conditioning and that some patients could be given virtual appointments. "}],[{"start":100.64999999999999,"text":"“Wards are overheating, babies, children and older people are falling ill,” said Lorna Powell, an urgent care doctor and co-director of Mothers Rise Up, a mother-led climate group. "}],[{"start":111.99999999999999,"text":"“Many don’t realise that extreme heat causes a deterioration in a myriad of health conditions, from diabetes to mental health problems. Heart attacks, strokes and stillbirths become more frequent, and the NHS struggles to keep up,” she said."}],[{"start":126.99999999999999,"text":"Scientists say that climate change is making extreme weather events, including heatwaves, more intense. Between 2015 and 2024, the number of days exceeding 30°C in the UK more than trebled compared with the 1961-1990 average, the Met Office says. "}],[{"start":145.79999999999998,"text":"The Climate Change Committee, the government’s independent climate advisers, warned last month that around 90 per cent of England’s hospital buildings are “vulnerable to overheating”. Temperatures can exceed 30°C on some wards when outdoor temperatures are just 22°C, the CCC said. "}],[{"start":165.49999999999997,"text":"One physiotherapist working in a north-west London hospital said on Wednesday: “I can’t believe it’s legal to have us working in this. I worked in Australia and never had these conditions.”"}],[{"start":176.09999999999997,"text":"In 2022, when temperatures hit 40C in the UK for the first time, 18.5 per cent of surgeons reported that the heatwave directly resulted in the cancellation of elective surgeries. About 30 per cent of those surgeons reporting cancellations cited unsafe environments, such as theatres being too hot, while staff shortages (36 per cent) and bed shortages (22 per cent) were also big factors. "}],[{"start":200.14999999999998,"text":"Four in ten operating theatres had no means to control ambient temperature, according to a letter in the British Journal of Surgery."}],[{"start":207.39999999999998,"text":"Aneel Bhangu, professor of surgery at the University of Birmingham, said modelling indicated between 1,400 and 4,000 operations could be cancelled between Tuesday and Friday."}],[{"start":218.99999999999997,"text":"During a heatwave last month, where temperatures hit 35C, Jersey’s General Hospital was forced to cancel surgeries because of a mechanical issue caused by the extreme temperatures. "}],[{"start":232.79999999999998,"text":"Guidance from NHS England says that, “due to capital and running costs, air conditioning should only be used in essential areas” such as operating departments and critical care areas. "}],[{"start":245.04999999999998,"text":"There were an estimated 1,504 deaths in England linked to heat during 2025. "}],[{"start":251.89999999999998,"text":"Laurence Wainwright, a senior researcher at the department of psychiatry at University of Oxford, said the health implications of heatwaves could “be significant — especially for certain vulnerable groups including outdoor workers, young children, elderly, those taking certain medications, and those with a mental health condition.”"}],[{"start":270.29999999999995,"text":"An NHS spokesperson said: “NHS hospitals are implementing their well-tested hot weather plans over the coming days to keep their staff and patients safe during this unusual red heat alert — including managing temperatures in clinical areas, supporting hydration, and prioritising care for higher risk groups.”"}],[{"start":288.79999999999995,"text":"Separate research from the National Housing Federation released on Thursday found that 1.6mn children in England are living in homes that get uncomfortably hot, including one in six babies. "}],[{"start":307.24999999999994,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1782373650_3790.mp3"}