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Nurses are being banned from drinking water because senior managers wrongly believe it poses an infection risk.
It comes as the UK grapples with a heatwave that threatens to send temperatures above 40C for the first time ever.
A survey of nurses found almost four in 10 had been forbidden by senior managers from drinking while working in areas like wards.
The main reason for nurses not being allowed water, or having their bottles thrown away in their station, is the age-old belief it is against ‘infection control policies’.
But no such guidance exists, NHS bosses confirmed today, despite the same issues cropping up every heatwave. There is no proof drinking water from bottles or cups poses an infection risk.
Nurses have also been told off for drinking on wards because it looks unprofessional in the past.
Amid the current heatwave, nurses say they’ve also been forbidden them from using fans to keep cool. The reason for this ban is unclear.
Ambulance crews desperate to cool down have posted images of them plugging in aircon units while queuing outside hospitals waiting to handover patients.
Temperatures are only set to soar over the coming days, with the mercury predicted to exceed 35C (95F) from Sunday to Tuesday in parts of England.
Nurses have also said staffing shortages, caused by a spike in virus infections, means they were struggling to take a break and get enough water.
NHS England has said trusts should allow nurses to drink at their workstations — not just their breaks — but did not comment on if they were allowed to use fans.
An ‘amber’ extreme heat Met Office warning covering much of England and Wales on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday says there could be a danger to life or potential serious illness, with adverse health effects not just limited to the most vulnerable
One nurse, Michelle from the East Midlands, said she was told not to drink at her work station and instead rehydrate in the staff room if she got a break
The heatwave is also making long ambulance handover waits even more unbearable with some hospitals deploying portable air conditioning units to emergency vehicles as was the case in South Wales today
In a post on Twitter, an NHS nurse in the East Midlands called Michelle, said she was only allowed to drink water in the staff room while on a break.
‘We can’t have water on the workstation,’ she wrote.
‘However, we can go to staff room and drink as much water as possible.’
Her comments come just a day after a survey of 400 nurses found 38 per cent had been banned from drinking water while working in areas like wards.
One nurse told Nursing Notes, which carried out the poll: ‘It seems a bit hypocritical.
‘We are told to encourage our patients to stay hydrated, but matron comes around and throws away our water bottles from the nurses’ station.’
An NHS spokesperson told MailOnline that health staff should not be restricted from drinking water at their stations.
‘It is vital that all NHS staff and patients are able to drink water and stay hydrated particularly in hot weather whether at nursing stations, in staff rooms or other convenient locations,’ they said.
Nurses have complained for years about being banned from drinking water during heatwaves.
The situation prompted both NHS England’s chief nurse Ruth May and the official health watchdog the Care Quality Commission to issue statements that NHS staff are allowed to drink on shift.
During last year’s heat wave, Ms May tweeted: ‘In my opinion nurses should be able to drink fluids at nurses’ stations.’
Being dehydrated can impact a person’s cognition and judgment, meaning patients could also potentially suffer from NHS staff not being able to drink.
Royal College of Nursing national officer, Leona Cameron, said: ‘All employers, including hospitals and other care settings, have a legal duty to provide their staff with readily accessible drinking water.’
‘This is especially important during a heatwave, where staff should be actively encouraged to drink plenty of water to prevent illness.’
Another nurse from London called Vanesia said staff in her workplace had been forbidden from turning fans on despite the current heat.
‘Can you imagine, in this heatwave, nursing staff are not allowed to turn fans on,’ she said.
‘The wards are very hot, patients are hot, no air con apart from the doctor’s office.’
Some hospitals and care homes banned the use of fans during the Covid pandemic over fears they could spread the virus through the air.
NHS England refused to clarify if this was now a national infection prevention policy, or if like mask requirements for staff and visitors, fan use was being left to individual trusts to decide.
Another NHS nurse, this time from London, claimed staff had been forbidden from using fans
Britain’s ongoing ambulance crisis has also been hit by the heatwave as patients wait for hours in vehicles outside hospitals waiting to be handed over to medics.
Today, a paramedic called Lou posted a photo from Grange University Hospital in Wales, of the hospital hooking up a portable air conditioning unit to his ambulance as he queued to hand over a patient.
Some hospitals have already declared ‘critical incidents’ and every ambulance trust in England is on the highest level of alert, with patients already suffering up to 24-hour handover waits in A&E because of the heat.
One hospital reported an ambulance being delayed for 24 hours outside A&E on Monday evening.
Another trust, which runs the Queen Alexander Hospital, in Portsmouth, declared a ‘critical incident’ due to the weather and staff sickness.
London Ambulance Service urged the public to support it as the heat continues by only calling 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency, keeping hydrated and staying out of the sun during the hottest periods of the day.
The hot weather is set continue with the Met Office issuing an amber ‘Extreme heat’ warning for much of England and Wales on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
They said the temperatures, which could hit highs of 38C could be a danger to life or potential serious illness
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