hospitals

Essex County Council (ECC), in partnership with Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals, initiated the SPONGE 2020 project to retrofit the Basildon Hospital courtyard with a Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS).

This study shows how the 2019 heatwave disrupted hospital care in England, highlighting infrastructure weaknesses, staff awareness gaps, and competing priorities, and calls for stronger adaptation planning and investment to build health system resilience to extreme heat.

This document provides practical guidance for UK acute care clinicians to prepare for and manage the health impacts of extreme heat, focusing on protecting vulnerable patients, adapting clinical practice, and maintaining safe hospital environments during heatwaves.