UK hospital declared critical incident as heatwave drives surge in demand
A UK hospital has declared a critical incident and is restricting services to life-threatening emergencies only, as it struggles to cope with a sharp rise in demand driven by extreme heat.
Published on 22/06/2026 - 18:49 GMT+2
East Surrey Hospital has declared a critical incident on Monday, meaning its emergency services remain open but are prioritised exclusively for life-threatening cases.
"Please only attend East Surrey Hospital in a life-threatening emergency,” Ed Cetti, Chief Medical Officer for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said.
Patients are being directed to pharmacies, general practitioners, and walk-in centres for non-urgent health advice.
The decision was taken to “act swiftly to ensure patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care,” Cetti said.
With temperatures on Monday rising to 34°C in southern parts of England, a red heat-health alert for six regions of England was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
“A red heat health alert indicates a risk to life for even the healthy population, but simple actions like staying hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, and keeping your home cool can make a big difference,” said Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA.
The heatwave is also being acutely felt in Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and Germany, affecting healthcare services.
For example, medical services in the Landes department in Southwestern France received 20% more emergency calls on Sunday “than usual,” Sophie Brocas, the state’s representative in the area, told France 3 Aquitaine on Sunday.
