Health Services: Somerset
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support health services providers in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) Somerset with extreme heat.
Answered by Mrs Sharon Hodgson
National Health Service organisations across Somerset, including the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and the NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board, have implemented a range of measures to help services manage periods of extreme heat and to protect patients, staff, and the public.
The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has enhanced its heatwave preparedness arrangements, drawing on learning from previous periods of hot weather. Actions include supporting staff welfare through flexible working arrangements where appropriate, additional uniforms, increased access to cooling equipment, clear staff communications on staying safe in hot weather, and support for community teams carrying out home visits.
To protect patients during extreme heat, the trust has provided cooler areas for patients waiting for treatment or discharge, prioritised ambulance offloads to minimise delays, issued regular advice to patients and the public on staying safe and accessing services appropriately, and undertaken proactive medication reviews for vulnerable patients where required.
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