Written question WQ99362
- Asked by
- Nigel WilliamsReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 11 days
Question
What guidance has the Welsh Government issued to health boards regarding maximum safe ward temperatures during heatwaves, and what funding is available to health boards to upgrade hospital wards with air conditioning or alternative cooling systems where existing measures are insufficient?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Minister for Health and Care (Mabon ap Gwynfor)
Public Health Wales has specific heat health advice in place on its website for healthcare professionals and social care managers (Hot weather guidance for health professionals - Public Health Wales). The Chief Medical Officer for Wales wrote to health and social care partners on 5 May highlighting this guidance and urging plans be in place ahead of hot weather (2026 Heat Health Advice note (English) (final).pdf).
Welsh Health Technical Memorandum 03-01 provides guidance on specialised ventilation for healthcare premises. This includes comprehensive advice on the legal requirements, design implications, maintenance and specialised ventilation in healthcare premises.
I recognise that recent hot and humid weather has placed additional pressure on hospital environments for patients and staff. Health Boards are expected to consider local estate needs, maintain business continuity and use adverse weather plans to ensure services continue safely during periods of extreme weather.
The increasing frequency of heatwaves due to global warming underlines the importance of climate adaptation policies, making progress to net zero and countering the dangerous misinformation of climate change denialism.