Extreme heat is a health justice issue
This week temperatures across the UK have soared and we are experiencing the hottest June temperatures on record. The Met Office announced a rare red weather warning which means it is “very likely that there will be a risk to life”. This heat is not an inconvenience, it is a growing public health threat and the reality of climate breakdown - it is long past time we treated it with the urgency it demands. This is a stark reminder of how the struggles for climate justice and health justice cannot be separated.
When temperatures rise significantly, it puts our bodies under strain and our health at greater risk. Extreme heat increases the likelihood of heart attacks and strokes and can worsen cardiovascular, mental, respiratory and diabetes-related conditions.
The health impacts of extreme heat are not felt equally, and tend to disproportionately affect more vulnerable populations - such as disabled people, people experiencing homelessness, and working class people who are less able to access the means to stay cool. This further exacerbates and reinforces existing health inequalities.
But it’s not just about direct health impacts on the individual. Extreme heat also puts immense pressure on our public health system, which is not currently designed to cope with these conditions at scale. More than 90% of NHS buildings in England are vulnerable to overheating, with some hospital wards recording indoor temperatures above 30°C even when outdoor temperatures were just 22°C. This week, hospitals in England have declared critical incidents as machines such as MRI scanners and IT systems have failed in the extreme heat, and surges in admissions have triggered trusts to enact their extreme weather protocols. This only intensifies the strain our already struggling hospitals are put under, and makes them even less safe for patients and health workers alike.
We also know from recent heatwaves that wider emergency services come under huge pressure too - for example, during the 2022 heatwave when temperatures reached 40°C, the London Fire Brigade experienced its highest call-out levels since WW2 and on a day of just 25°C, 999 calls increased by 20%.
And the impact of extreme heat is felt financially too. The economic burden of heat-related health impacts is already estimated to be comparable to around 80% of the annual economic burden of the winter NHS crisis.
These disruptive and dangerous periods of extreme heat are not simply one off, random occurrences. They are predictable consequences of continuing to burn fossil fuels; causing record ocean heat and scorched ground - all human caused.
So when we look to the future, the potential picture is horrifying.
Heat-related deaths are projected to rise from ~850 per year currently to 2,200 by the 2030s and 3,200 by the 2050s, with worst-case scenarios reaching up to 7,400 annually. A&E attendances could rise from around 39,000 by the 2030s to 53,000 by the 2050s potentially exceeding 123,000 in extreme years.
It’s legitimate and understandable to feel terrified by these scenarios. But we cannot allow ourselves to be paralysed by that fear. Winning health justice and climate justice are both enormous tasks - but ones that we have a duty to fight for, for ourselves, for each other, and for future generations to come.
In 2022 the High Court ruled that the UK government’s climate action plan is so inadequate - that it is illegal. So we demand the government lay out a robust and legally binding climate action plan that tackles the root causes of the climate crisis head on, including a strategy to transition away from fossil fuels.
In addition, we call on the government to take concrete steps to protect people’s health from extreme heat, including:
Implementing a maximum workplace temperature law to keep workers safe
Investing in the retrofitting of public service buildings - including hospitals, care homes, schools - to handle sustained thermal stress
Delivering emergency surge funding for our NHS to manage the increased demand during heatwaves
Just Treatment will continue standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies at the forefront of organising around the climate crisis.