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Testimony from more than 2,500 healthcare workers revealed the extent to which NHS buildings struggled to cope with successive heatwaves

NHS patients were left enduring dangerously hot conditions in hospitals during this summer’s record-breaking temperatures, with nurses citing some people were treated "worse than animals" as they suffered serious deterioration.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said testimonies from more than 2,500 healthcare workers revealed the extent to which NHS buildings struggled to cope with successive heatwaves.

One nurse in south-east England described the awful outlook for patients, and said: "I have actually cried for them. It’s inhumane. I don’t think a veterinary surgery would be allowed to operate under such conditions.”

The Met Office has confirmed that the summer recorded an average daily maximum temperature of 21.3C, exceeding the previous record of 21C set in 1976.

The summer shattered records, and became the hottest UK summer on record after a fifth successive heatwave.

The impact was particularly severe for vulnerable patients with respiratory and cardiac conditions, nurses said.

A nurse in Wales described extreme heat as a “death sentence” for some seriously ill patients.

“We had two frail patients for whom the extreme heat directly impacted their deaths,” the nurse said, "while it was not the only cause – if you are in respiratory failure, the heat is a death sentence.”

In the South West, a palliative care nurse reported that a dying patient with chronic ulcers developed wounds that attracted flies and became infested with maggots during a heatwave.

The nurse said the experience could leave a lasting impact on both the patient and their family, describing it as one of the final memories of the man’s life.

Meanwhile, cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in London were described as sweating throughout treatment, while newborn babies experienced increased respiratory distress.

Mental health patients were reportedly confined to small, windowless rooms during periods of extreme heat, and a nurse working on a children’s ward in Yorkshire said the temperature reached 44C at one time.

Staff in the North West also described patients becoming more affected by the heat than by the conditions for which they had originally been admitted.

Nurses said overcrowding and the use of corridors for treatment compounded the problem.

The RCN said care homes were also struggling to protect older people and those living with long-term health conditions, with staff raising concerns about the effectiveness of existing plans for extreme temperatures.

Three quarters of respondents to the RCN survey said they had little or no confidence that the Government was doing enough to prepare NHS buildings for the effects of extreme heat before next summer.

RCN general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger said the accounts showed the “devastating impact” of heat on patients, including deterioration in health and increased deaths.

She said nurses were “fighting a losing battle” in buildings that often lacked basic cooling facilities.

“Extreme heat is here to stay,” Ms Ranger said, calling for greater investment in hospitals, care homes and other healthcare settings.

“This summer was our warning,” she said, "by next, we need everywhere to have effective cooling facilities in place.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “These harrowing testimonies reinforce the importance of the action announced last week by the Health Secretary to prepare the NHS better for future heatwaves, as well as the tribute she paid to every nurse who continued delivering the highest standards of care this summer despite the pressures placed on them.

“In her statement last week, the Health Secretary announced a significant package of funding to improve the safety of hospitals across the country, including an initial £32m to improve cooling and ventilation systems and strengthen hospitals’ resilience to extreme heat.

“She also announced the launch of a new Heat Taskforce, which will future heatwave planning is placed on the same footing as planning for the pressures of winter.”