UK heatwave health safety guidance

In late July, the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued advice for people using medical equipment during a severe heatwave, urging them to keep devices out of direct sunlight, avoid hot cars, and follow manufacturers' temperature limits. The guidance highlighted the risk that extreme heat could affect device operation and recommended checking instructions or consulting health professionals.

A few days later, the MHRA re‑issued a separate advisory focusing on the storage of common cardiovascular medicines such as ACE inhibitors and beta‑blockers. It warned that these drugs can lose effectiveness when kept above 25 °C, increasing risks of sunburn, dizziness, or dehydration for patients with asthma, heart disease, or diabetes. The agency urged the public to store medicines in cool, shaded places to ensure they remain effective as temperatures were expected to stay above 30 °C.

Together, the two notices show the agency’s expanding response to the heatwave, moving from device safety to medication stability as the extreme temperatures persisted across the United Kingdom.