Sharp rise in fires and floods in hospitals last year as NHS left exposed to extreme weather

EMBARGO: 22.30 Wednesday 27th December 

• Floods soar by 59% and fires increase by 18% compared to last year

• Overheating incidents rise to new record high as soaring temperatures leave vulnerable patients at risk

• Lib Dems warn that failure to fix crumbling hospital buildings is leaving patients exposed to extreme weather  

There was a sharp rise in floods, fires and overheating incidents in hospitals and other NHS sites last year, analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. 

The figures from NHS Digital show there were 1,372 fires recorded by NHS trusts in 2022/23, up 18% from the previous year. This is equivalent to almost four fires a day across the NHS.

The number of serious flooding incidents at NHS sites rose to 279, a stark 59% rise on the previous year. These refer to flooding at NHS sites where the water has caused disruption, for example by breaching a building or flooding a road.

Meanwhile the number of incidents of overheating climbed to a new record high of 6,822, up 23% on the previous year. This is more than double the 2,980 overheating incidents recorded six years ago in 2016/2017. These incidents refer to times when an occupied ward or clinical area’s daily maximum temperature has gone over 26°C, the temperature at which some vulnerable patients become unable to cool themselves efficiently.

Recent research has found the impact of overheating incidents in the NHS can include patient distress, failure of essential equipment such as refrigeration, disruption to IT and laboratory services, staff discomfort and degradation or loss of medicine. The study also found an estimated 90% of current UK hospitals are at risk from overheating, and that incidents are likely to increase as heatwaves become more common.

The Liberal Democrats said the figures showed that years of neglect of the NHS under the Conservatives had left the health service with crumbling infrastructure, leaving hospitals exposed to extreme weather events. The party is calling on the government to increase capital investment to upgrade NHS infrastructure, fix outdated hospital buildings and improve their resilience to heatwaves and other extreme weather events. 

A major water leak at Doncaster Royal Infirmary in 2021 caused significant disruption after the leak made contact with electrical mains, causing a number of fires and the evacuation of a neonatal unit. Meanwhile, St Helier Hospital in South London has seen constant ward closures and flooding in buildings because a new hospital promised by the government has still not been delivered.

Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said:

“This sharp rise in flooding, fires and overheating must act as a wake-up call to ministers to fix crumbling hospital buildings before it’s too late.

“The government has failed upgrade run-down and ageing hospitals, leaving them particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events.

“Every day, people are being treated in old and dilapidated buildings because the Conservatives have failed to deliver on the new hospitals they promised. This is leading to countless incidents that pose a threat to the safety of patients and to staff, and needless disruption as wards have to be shut down.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Data source: NHS Digital, Estates Returns Information Collection 2022/23 (ERIC 2022/23 - Report V2, tabs 5 and 6)

Study into impact of NHS overheating, Round Our Way, 2023

Report on water leak at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (ITV News, 2021).

Report on crumbling buildings at St Helier (Guardian, 2023)