Medical kit fails as Gloucestershire hospitals struggle in heat
Summary
Gloucestershire’s emergency department experienced its busiest days ever during the recent heatwave, with some hospital equipment also rendered useless due to high humidity. Hospital bosses say the last three heatwaves have had a “huge impact” on diagnostic equipment. Last week they had only one MRI scanner working across both Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General hospital, councillors heard.
Details
Kevin McNamara, the chief executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , said climate change and rising temperatures are changing the way they conduct their system-wide seasonal preparation in the health service. He spoke of the recent challenges they have faced at a health overview and scrutiny committee at Shire Hall in Gloucester on July 14.
Chairman Iain Dobie (LD, Charlton Park and College) asked if the hot weather has had an effect on the hospital’s imaging systems. Mr McNamara said: “It has had a huge impact over the past three heatwaves we’ve had now since the beginning of May. “[During] the heatwave at the end of June, we had not just temperature issues which started to impact our kit and staff, but also significant humidity issues.
“So what that meant it was throwing some kit and diagnostic equipment out of operability. “So last week for example, we were in a situation where we had one MRI (magnetic resonance imaging device) across the two hospitals that was functioning.
“It means we have to bring lots of people in to try and fix and remedy those issues some of that is just a symptom of how the kit is not used to working in the sort of temperatures we’ve got. “Given climate change and everything else we’re going to have to adapt to that. “What was interesting is that even hospitals that have a much newer estate than we do were experiencing the same kit issues.
“For us we also have the added complexity. We have a very fragile estate which means air handling units go down, leaking roofs et cetera that we have to manage and that can throw rooms out which then obviously creates a delay. “In those situations what it means is that we end up having to prioritise emergency patients for understandable reasons.
“So we focus our diagnostic energies there and that can then create a bit more of an addition to the waiting list for patients. “At the moment with the heat it has been a constant juggling act as to how we manage and reduce the risk as much as we can. “That’s in the context of a diagnostic plan that was already challenged anyway.” He went on to say that the trust will have to plan for the summer in January.
“The impact of this has been far greater than traditional winter pressures,” he added. “We’ve had our busiest days in the emergency department ever during these heatwaves in comparison to winter.
Report source: Gloucestershire Live