Accident and Emergency Departments: Weather

At Queen’s Hospital Emergency Department in Romford, staff work proactively to ensure readiness for increased patient numbers during periods of extreme temperatures with real-time monitoring of the impact on services. Staff are supported in looking after patients by a trust-wide adverse weather plan. The building itself has air handling units which maintain a constant and acceptable temperature in many of the areas. The planned rebuild will have a modern ventilation system that meets the required standards for heating and cooling. This will be supported by a new plant being added to the existing site.

The Government plans for and supports trusts with a wide range of risks, including severe weather conditions. Following the publication of the 2025 Health and Climate Adaptation Report, NHS England has published the NHS Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool and the Climate Adaptation Framework to support trusts in minimising climate-related risks to patients, staff, and services. The report, assessment tool, and framework are all available, respectively, at the following three links:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/health-and-climate-adaptation-reports/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/climate-adaptation-resources/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/climate-adaptation-resources/