EXTREME heat and record breaking temperatures have put extra pressure on Salisbury District Hospital, with the emergency department seeing an increase in sunburn and heat stroke cases.

This was on top of a 24-hour critical incident declared last week, due to a combination of ambulance delays, staff sickness and the number of patients waiting to be discharged.

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The critical incident was declared on Thursday, July 14, and stood down in the evening of the following day.

During this time teams implemented back-up plans to try and resolve some of the issues, so the hospital could remain open and safe.

Corporate teams and non-clinical staff were requested to review and prioritise their workload to support ward environments and in-patient areas as volunteers, known as ‘ward buddies’.

All non-essential meetings and training were cancelled.

During the incident, British Medical Association chairman and Salisbury GP Helena McKeown was part of a special health report on Channel 4 News, calling on the government to do more to support the NHS.

Now, the hospital is dealing with the repercussions of the heatwave, with increasing admissions and levels of dehydration clear.

This comes after the Met Office issued a three-day 'extreme heat' amber weather alert for the city, with highs locally of 33 and 34 degrees.

During this time, Sunday to Tuesday, free cold drinks and ice lollies were provided to hospital staff, urged to keep hydrated, take breaks, and look out for signs of heat stress within teams.

As of 2pm on Tuesday, July 19, there were 127 members of staff absent due to Covid-19, and 44 Covid-19 positive patients onsite.

Reminding the public to think about alternatives to A&E, the hospital has advised that Salisbury Walk-in Centre and NHS 111, online and by phone, are other options for medical issues.

For minor illness community pharmacists can provide advice and a range of over-the-counter medicine and treatments.

Referring to heatwave safety, a Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “We urge everyone to take precautions to stay safe in the heat and sunshine.

"Please avoid the sun at peak times, don’t spend too much time in the sun and stay in the shade as much as possible, and keep drinking fluids to stay hydrated. “

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