Milton Keynes Hospital suspends routine appointments due to heat

A hospital has suspended its routine appointments early next week due to the weather warning over extreme heat, its chief executive said.

Joe Harrison, the chief executive of Milton Keynes University Hospital, said routine outpatient appointments and surgery would not go ahead on Monday and Tuesday.

Forecasters have said temperatures could hit 40C (104F) in the UK.

Mr Harrison said efforts would be made to keep the rest of the hospital cool.

He said on Twitter: "We have taken the decision to stand down routine outpatient appointments and surgery on Monday and Tuesday because many of patients travelling to these appointments are frail and at increased risk, and due to the unpredictable nature of very high temperatures on demand for emergency care and on care environment.

"We will do all we can to keep wards and departments as cool as possible, but we know this will be a challenge given the very high outside temperature."

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