England’s June 2026 heatwave produced record ambulance demand, FOI data shows

# What happened

# How bad the pressure was On 26 June — the single busiest day of the heatwave — ambulance services across England responded to 4,084 category 1 incidents (life‑threatening emergencies). For context, the typical summer daily average for such incidents is about 2,500. Several trusts recorded their highest daily figures since their records began, and in many cases the heatwave days outranked busy winter days and peaks seen during the Covid‑19 pandemic.

# Which services were hardest hit

• London, South East Coast, South Central and North East ambulance services reported daily records for category 1 responses during the heatwave.
• South Western and East of England services each reported their highest volume of 999 calls on 26 June.
• At least four out of 10 trusts faced unprecedented numbers of life‑threatening emergencies on at least one day between 23–27 June.

# Why demand rose

# How this compares to other pressures Ambulance services are usually busiest in winter, when cold weather and seasonal illnesses drive higher emergency demand. The FOI data shows that extremely hot days can now match or exceed those traditional winter peaks. For many trusts, heatwave days also surpassed the busiest days recorded during the Covid‑19 period.

# Impact on crews and other NHS services High demand affects staff as well as patients. The union UNISON reported crews facing stifling conditions — sometimes with faulty or missing air conditioning — and back‑to‑back callouts. Separately, hospitals and A&E departments saw unprecedented demand and more than 1,000 NHS operations were cancelled nationally because of extreme heat during May and June.

# What the data covers

# What this means going forward Very hot days are a growing pressure on emergency medical services. With heatwaves becoming more frequent and intense, ambulance services and hospitals face recurring summer surges that can rival established winter stress points. Planning for future heat events will need to account for increased call volumes, impacts on staff safety, and knock‑on effects at hospitals.