Credit: iStock – Hiraman
More than 1,100 operations were cancelled at NHS hospitals due to heat during the UK’s May and June heatwaves, according to a Freedom of Information request made by Carbon Brief.
Areas subject to the highest temperatures during the heatwave, including Surrey, Sussex, south Essex and parts of London, were among the counties with the highest number of cancellations due to heat.
Carbon Brief said the figures were likely to be an underestimation as less than half of 140 NHS trusts contacted provided details of heat-related surgery cancellations.
At least 10 emergency surgeries were cancelled because of the heat, according to Carbon Brief.
FOI requests were sent to the 140 NHS trusts and health boards in England and Wales responsible for hospitals with surgical theatres.
In total, 59 trusts and health boards responded with details of 1,110 heat-related cancellations from 22-28 May and 18-27 June.
Many of those who did not respond said they did not record data on heat-related cancellations.
