New data released by the UK Health Security Agency shows that 10,781 mostly elderly people died during the 19 summer “heat episodes” since 2020.

Last year alone there were 1,311 heat-associated deaths across four summer heat episodes – the equivalent of 94 deaths per day.*

The story was featured in The Independent and Yahoo News.

The highest heat-associated mortality rates were seen in those aged 85 years and over (521 deaths per million people), and those aged 75 to 84 years (111 per million population); there were 2,844 and 4,087 heat-associated years of life lost, respectively, in these age groups.

Regionally, the West Midlands had the greatest heat-associated death rate with 38 deaths per million people (232 in total), followed by the South West with 32 per million or 186 deaths in total and the South East with a rate of 27 per million or 259 in total.

The Independent

Physiotherapist: experience on the frontline helps

Jennifer McNesfield is a physiotherapist in her 30s, who retrained for the health service after being an army officer for several years.

“During the summer heatwave in 2022 I was completing my final student training placement on a hyperacute stroke unit in High Wycombe. Trying to keep patients safe in the intolerably hot conditions was in some ways similar to looking after my soldiers in the heat of the desert.”

Heat “is a nightmare” for physio Ms McNesfield said: “Usually you want to get patients up and move them around, including for the first time after a stroke. Heat can also be a contributing factor to strokes, and you worry that your patient may have another one. Studies have shown an increase in stroke incidence during heatwaves”. 

Temperatures on her ward during heatwaves in 2022: “Were insane,” she said and were not helped by “the fact it was on the top floor and the windows were south facing. It was like an oven. There was also only one water tap to get a drink from, and the water fountain in our offices three floors down was broken”.

She added that, despite some air conditioning being added to part of the ward where she worked it was often insufficient.

Paramedic: overheating can lead to “serious complications.”

Andy West is a paramedic for Southwestern Ambulance based in Gloucester, a job he’s done for over 20 years. 
He explained: “Countless elderly people really struggle in the heat, often linked to dehydration as they don’t drink enough.”

“Uncorrected overheating can lead to serious complications and some members of society are more susceptible, such as the elderly,” he added.  

Mr West said he and his colleagues face many issues as climate change bites, not just related to their own need to drink much more fluid, but also as a result of ambulance air conditioning sometimes failing, and heavy duty work outfits that are not designed for hot weather. 

He said: “It is very tiring, productivity goes down over 12-hour shifts. And if the air con packs up, there are risks to patients on board. Keeping the back of the ambulance cool is important.”

Roger Harding, Director of Round Our Way, a climate charity that works with people affected by climate change in the UK, said:

“High temperatures used to be something people largely worried about when going abroad, but they are starting to have a devastating impact here, especially for those of us getting on a bit.”

“Heatwaves are becoming much more common as climate change intensifies and, as this data shows, it is costing some people their lives. We all need to look out for those in our lives vulnerable to the heat, and the government needs to ensure our health service and care homes are better prepared. We also need to cut the pollution that makes these heatwaves more likely to stop these tragic numbers going up and up.”