All ambulance services in England are under “extreme pressure” and are on the highest level of alert, as soaring temperatures pose health risks to the public.
Staff absences due to COVID, difficulties caused by the hot weather and continuing delays in handing over patients to hospital A&Es have combined to leave ambulance trusts struggling to cope.
A ‘level four’ heatwave emergency – the first ever in Britain – could be declared as the government seeks to deal with issues caused by the hot weather.
It would mean the conditions are so extreme that “illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy” as well as vulnerable people, according to the UK Health Security Agency.
If implemented, it could see widespread disruption to health services, schools and even nuclear power plants.
Ministers are said to be drawing up plans for such an eventuality and have held a crisis COBRA meeting in Downing Street.
Temperatures in the UK – already hitting 32C so far this week – are expected to rise further and could reach 40C for the first time ever.
UK weather: Gritters are being taken out of hibernation to save the nation’s melting roads
Britain’s heating climate will become increasingly uncomfortable – and deadly for some
UK weather: Met Office issues rare ‘extreme heat warning’ for parts of England and Wales as temperatures set to rise
It comes after the Met Office issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat across parts of the UK on Sunday and Monday.
This means there could be a danger to life or potential serious illness as a result of the weather.
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A Met Office forecaster has said parts of South East England could exceed 35C on Sunday – with a 30% chance of seeing the hottest temperature ever recorded in the UK.
The highest temperature on record is 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden in July 2019.
This week’s searing heat is also playing havoc with the country’s roads, with gritters being dispatched months earlier than usual to spread sand to stop highways from melting.
Read more:
What a national heatwave emergency could mean for the UK this week?
Britain’s heating climate will become increasingly uncomfortable – and deadly for some
All 10 ambulance trusts in England say they are on the highest level of alert – REAP 4 (Resource Escalation Action Plan 4) – which means they are under “extreme pressure”.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had been at that level for a few months, while South Central Ambulance Service has declared a critical incident “due to current pressures on our services”.
It warned of delays in responding to patients with “less urgent needs” and asked for those who can seek alternative treatment to do so.
South East Coast Ambulance Service confirmed it moved to REAP 4 this week.
A London Ambulance Service spokesman said it had moved to REAP 4 “as a result of a sustained demand on both our 999 and 111 services, and with hot weather set to continue over the next few days”.
South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust also confirmed it was at REAP 4, as did the East Midlands Ambulance Service, the East of England Ambulance Service and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
A North West Ambulance Service spokesman said: “As a result of the recent warm weather and increased demand, we have decided to step up to Level 4 of Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP).”
North East Ambulance Service said it increased its alert level on Monday.
Meanwhile, people seeking to cool off in the baking heat have been urged to be careful following the death of a teenage boy in a canal.
The body of 16-year-old Alfie McCraw from Wakefield was recovered on Monday, prompting a police warning about the dangers of open water swimming.
