Heat health alert guidance
Guidance correct as at July 2026
Look after yourself and each other
- Stay hydrated throughout your shift
- Drink regularly, even if you don't feel thirsty
- Take your breaks and use cooler environments wherever possible
- Protect yourself from direct sunlight by wearing sunscreen and seeking shade where
practical - Be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke in both yourselves
and your colleagues
Work safely in the heat
- Shorts for frontline colleagues remain available to order through local admin teams (up to two pairs in addition to your trouser allocation). Please continue to bear with our teams as they process requests.
- If wearing shorts, continue to manage risk by using sunscreen and carrying full-length trousers for higher-risk incidents. Please refer to the Fact Sheet - Wearing Uniform Shorts on FrontLine Duties
- Use vehicle air conditioning appropriately and report any faults as soon as possible [detailed below]
- Ensure vehicles and equipment are managed to minimise the impact of high temperatures where practical
Patient care: heat-related illness
For our patient-facing colleagues, please be aware of the additional risk of heat-related illness to our patients in this hot weather. The elderly and very young as well as patients with complex medical conditions may be at greater risk of heat-related illness. Please refer to the Clinical Practice Guidelines/JRCALC app and the heat-related illness section, which contains guidance and information on heat-related illness symptoms, treatment and management.
Medicines and extremes of heat
No harm to medicines is foreseeable with the temperatures we are expecting.
- Please take a moment to check each medicine before administration in case it has become denatured/destabilised in any way due to the heat.
- Most medicines should be stored between 15 to 25 degrees centigrade, with the majority of medicines stable at temperatures between 25-30 degrees.
- Keep medicines out of direct sunlight by putting drugs in their bags and in vehicles or the shade as often as possible and only being opened when necessary.
- Please continue to follow the current guidance available in all station meds rooms and ensure you complete the temperature monitoring forms.
- If an excursion occurs, please submit via InPhase so we have a record of where is consistently breaching temperatures.
Aircon in DCAs and fan usage
All Trust DCAs are fitted with an aircon system. When the aircon is operating you need to avoid access to the ambient temperature, so windows and doors need to be closed as air coming in from these areas will not be drawn through the cooling radiator and the cool air will diffuse quicker.
All cabs and saloon have vents in the body and chassis cab, and these are designed to aid the safe and sufficient flow of air through these areas and aid door closure.
Fans may be used in the following circumstances:
- Fans should not be used in areas where there is any potential or confirmed infections. This includes caring for patients with respiratory infections and other infections which are transmissible
- Fans should be regularly cleaned
- Fans should be used as a temporary measure when temperatures are high
- Fans should only be used at the lowest speed for less disruption of dust and debris
- Desks fans should not be placed on the floor
- Fans are only used intermittently
- Doors and windows should also be left open to allow for air exchange
Other measures to reduce heat in an area should be put in place first:
- Turn off all electrical items not being used
- Open windows and doors
- Use blinds and curtains on windows where the sun is directed
- Turn off lights and lamps
- Take regular cool drinks
If the aircon in your DCA is not working, please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible - in the recent heatwave, we heard about aircon issues which weren't necessarily being reported.
Please refer to the newly launched Fleet & Equipment Vehicle Fault guide available on the intranet, for specific guidance:
