Nurses’ union warns: Hospitals in France are poorly prepared for extreme heat

Paris – 30.06.2026: The spokesperson of the Syndicat national des professionnels infirmiers (SNPI), Thierry Amouroux, warns of serious gaps in heat protection in French hospitals and care homes. Many buildings date from the 1960s to the 1980s and are architecturally barely prepared for recurring heat waves. Interior wards, long corridors without cross-ventilation and extensive glazed surfaces turn parts of hospitals into heat-accumulating zones during the summer months, Amouroux said in an interview with Franceinfo. Older people in EHPADs and patients with chronic illnesses are particularly at risk, as their circulatory systems can react poorly to large temperature stresses.

According to hospital circles and regional health services, emergency call centers and emergency departments reported noticeably more deployments on hot days. The Assistance publique – Hopitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and several regional hospitals are recording increased patient numbers; elective procedures are being postponed in some places to consolidate intensive care capacity and staff. Nursing teams report additional workload, since cooling options in many existing buildings are limited and provisional solutions — such as mobile units — only provide relief in spots.

The government has announced short-term support, including the provision of additional mobile air conditioning units, procurement of fans and earmarked funds for immediate energy measures. Professional associations and experts, however, consider a longer-term program essential. This would include improved insulation, sun protection on windows, adapted ventilation and air-conditioning systems with redundancies, more shaded outdoor areas and heat-adapted floor plans for new buildings. Health authorities also remind that the health effects of extreme heat can be delayed: hospital admissions and complications can rise days after a heat peak.

Hospital management and regional authorities signal fundamental agreement with accelerating renovations, but point to planning and delivery times as well as ongoing operational requirements that make renovations difficult during full operation. At the same time, prevention is being emphasized: standardized heat plans, regular hydration and monitoring rounds for people in need of care, reduced physical strain on staff during hot periods and the use of cooler rooms for particularly vulnerable groups are now part of everyday practice in many places.

From the SNPI’s perspective, clear national requirements for minimum standards in hospitals and EHPADs are needed so investments can be prioritized and implemented in a comparable way. While some regions have already launched funding programs, binding nationwide timelines for comprehensive renovations are still missing. Until then, heat waves are likely to continue pushing hospitals to the limit — with consequences for workflows, waiting times and, above all, the safety of particularly vulnerable patients.