NHS forced to cancel blood tests during heatwave after Net Zero curbs on air conditioning

THE NHS has been forced to cancel blood tests during the fourth heatwave of the year amid net-zero air-conditioning restrictions. Record temperatures have caused equipment in some GP surgeries to become unusable. Blood samples are more likely to degrade in the heat which could lead to false-positive or false-negative results. As part of net-zero efforts NHS buildings are encouraged to use natural ventilation rather than air-conditioning. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! It leaves some buildings struggling to keep temperatures lower than the 25C needed to store blood samples safely. Sources told The Telegraph a number of GP surgeries have been forced to cancel appointments because blood test tubes have to be thrown away if they’ve been exposed to high temperatures for too long. Some patients have even reportedly been asked to repeat their blood tests as their samples have degraded under the record-breaking temperatures. Many GP surgeries are based in 20th century buildings and are unable to fit air-conditioning. This can be because of a lack of funding, incompatibility or carbon-reduction goals. Guidance issued to NHS surgeries states they should try to reduce temperatures by improving insulation and windows. Most read in Health New guidance issued to neighbourhood health centres reportedly suggests air-conditioning should be a last resort. The guidance reads: “[air conditioning] should only be introduced where the risk of overheating cannot be adequately mitigated through passive measures alone and where they are clinically required to support safe care delivery.” Dr Munro Stewart, the vice-president of the Royal College of GPs, told The Telegraph: “Reliable diagnostics rely on clinical samples being stored in the right conditions and tested in a timely manner. “GPs and our teams will do our best to ensure samples, such as blood tests, are kept cool – guidelines suggest under 25 degrees – through use of fridges and air-conditioned rooms, but this will be more challenging for some surgeries than others.” He went on to say many GP practices were not designed to deal with the record-breaking temperatures the UK has seen this summer. Blood samples should be kept at room temperature – between 15C and 25C – according to official guidance. Exposure to higher temperatures than this can affect the vacuum seals on the tubes and any additives mixed with the blood. Damage to tubes caused Broseley Medical Practice in Telford to cancel all blood tests during the June heatwave. Several blood clinics across the country have been forced to operate on reduced hours during extreme temperatures with patients told to attend other facilities. Providers of at home testing kits are also reportedly urging patients to wait before taking and posting their tests and GPs have been warned to be mindful of the impact of the temperatures when requesting results. Other medical services have been impacted by the extreme heat with the UK Health Security Agency advising hospitals to discard tests for bacterial infections if they have been exposed to high temperatures. More health alerts are in place this week as temperatures reach highs of 35C. An NHS spokesman said: “NHS guidance does not restrict the use of air conditioning where it’s needed to deliver safe care. “Where practices do not have the ability to maintain temperatures within the limits required for pathology equipment, NHS staff are doing all they can to limit the impact for patients and ensure any non-urgent blood tests that require rescheduling are done as soon as possible.”