Epsom hospital rush in temporary air conditioning as patients and staff suffer

Reports of temperatures in the high thirties (Degrees Celsius) at Epsom Hospital surfaced Wednesday afternoon, as parents of children being treated at the hospital lamented the "disgusting" conditions nurses, doctors and patients were enduring.

In response, hospital management revealed they had ordered dozens of "mobile air conditioning units" as temporary solution to the intense heat.

Speaking to the Comet about the situation, Louise Moore, whose children were both recently checked out of the paediatric Casey Ward at Epsom Hospital, praised the staff's efforts to keep children on the ward cool.

She also criticised a perceived lack of forward planning by the hospital's administration in allowing the situation to get so severe.

"It's disgusting that Epsom hospital expect staff, nursing staff, doctors, cleaners — who look after the ward extremely well — to work in that heat.

"How are they supposed to nurse children in that heat? I think it's completely wrong," Ms Moore said.

The parent, who is on the ward regularly for the treatment of her children, said she and several other parents struggled to keep down the temperature of their poorly children while they were being cared for, prompting fears that the extreme heat could exacerbate their illnesses.

Ms Moore also explicitly commended the way the staff were coping under the conditions, describing some of the ways they're helping keep patients cool.

"On the children's ward, they've got a really cold drinking tap which is great and if the children want an ice cream or a lolly all they have to do is ask and they'll provide them," she said.

"The level of care on Casey Ward with those nurses and the cleaning staff is fantastic. They really look after the children and the parents, and it's why I feel so passionate about it.

"I shouldn't be having to look out for them by complaining about this. It's common sense that this place needs air conditioning because with out it the patients could get even more ill," Ms Moore said.

In response, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust sent a statement to the Comet outlining the management's response.

A spokesperson for the hospital described the conditions as "challenging" and revealed that scores of "mobile air conditioning units" had been ordered, including six for the Casey Ward where Ms Moore's children were being cared for.

"As temperatures have increased over the past five days, the conditions on some of our wards and in our diagnostic areas (such as our CT scanner departments) have been challenging and our staff have been working very hard to keep our patients as cool and as comfortable as possible.

"Our old hospital buildings are not equipped to deal with adverse weather and even as we refurbish and improve clinical areas, it is not always possible to build in air conditioning units because of the infrastructure of the aged buildings.

"As a result, this week we have ordered 60 mobile air conditioning units, which we are in the process of setting up in our most badly impacted areas.

"This includes six air conditioning units on Casey Ward (one large unit in the main area of the ward, one in the treatment room and four for the ward’s side rooms)," the spokesperson said.

Offering further details, Casey Ward Sister Karen Kilday, described the "uncomfortable" conditions experienced by the young patients and joined Ms Moore in praising the way staff had responded.

"The soaring temperatures this week has made the ward environment uncomfortable for our young patients, and we have worked hard to keep everyone as comfortable as possible," Ms Kilday said.

"It is a real relief to have the large air conditioning unit in place, and I would like to thank our facilities team for responding to the needs of patients and staff.

"We know this is a temporary solution to what may be a recurring problem, but the temperatures on the ward are already coming down," she added.