Bosses at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Brighton, and other hospitals across Sussex have issued a plea for patience as the heatwave puts safety at risk.
University Hospitals Sussex, the NHS trust that also runs Worthing Hospital, St Richard’s, in Chichester, and the Princess Royal, in Haywards Heath, postponed some procedures.
And ambulance bosses declared a critical incident because service was under extreme pressure, threatening its ability to deliver safe and effective care.
Earlier this week, the NHS hospital trust that serves Crawley – Surrey and Sussex Healthcare – also declared a critical incident and urged people to attend the hospital only in a life-threatening emergency.
University Hospitals said: “Due to the current period of very hot weather, we are experiencing challenges maintaining safe temperatures in some of our theatres and certain facilities across our hospitals.
“This is affecting how specialist equipment operates and, as a result, some planned procedures have had to be postponed whilst we prioritise emergency care.
“We know this will be very disappointing and upsetting for patients, particularly those waiting for important procedures, and we are very sorry for the impact this has had.
“These decisions are never taken lightly, but patient safety must always come first.
“Our trust ‘heatwave plan’ is in place, allowing us to prioritise the most urgent and emergency care, including our major trauma services, so they remain available for the sickest patients.
“Our teams are working as quickly as possible to resume normal services and to rearrange appointments for those affected, with the most urgent cases prioritised.
“Patients should continue to attend appointments unless they are contacted directly.
“We recognise the impact that warm temperatures have on our patients and are taking proactive steps to help ensure they remain safe, well‑hydrated and as comfortable as possible during their hospital stay or visit.
“We would like to thank our staff for their continued dedication in these very challenging conditions.
“We also ask our communities to help by staying safe in the heat, keeping hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day and checking in on those who may be more vulnerable.”
The South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) said late last night: “Following a difficult few days and a period of sustained and significant demand, South East Coast Ambulance Service declared a critical incident at 10.40pm on Thursday 27 June.
“At the point of declaration there were a significant number of outstanding calls waiting for an ambulance response, including a number of higher acuity incidents.
“This follows one of the busiest days we have seen this year, alongside ongoing pressure across the wider health and care system and additional demand linked to the current hot weather.”
Strategic commander James Pavey said: “By declaring a critical incident, it allows our teams to focus our efforts on those patients who need us most. We are therefore focusing our resources on life‑threatening emergencies.
“People contacting us with less serious conditions are likely to experience longer waits. In some cases, patients may be clinically assessed and advised to seek alternative care rather than an ambulance being dispatched.
“We are asking the public to support us during this time by only calling 999 in a life‑threatening emergency.”
The ambulance service added: “If you need medical help but it is not an emergency, please consider using NHS 111 online or by phone or seeking help from a GP, pharmacist or urgent treatment centre.
“While the heat is expected to dissipate in the next few days, we expect demand to remain high and will continue to put in place all possible measures to ensure we return to a normal service as quickly as possible.
“In the meantime, while temperatures remain high, we continue to urge people to take steps to stay well, including keeping hydrated, avoiding the hottest parts of the day and checking on vulnerable friends, family members and neighbours.
“We would like to thank the public for their understanding and our staff for their continued dedication in very challenging circumstances.”
