St George's Hospital reports near-record A&E admissions

St George’s Hospital in Tooting said this week that heat and Wimbledon together helped push its emergency department to a near-record level of demand. The south-west London hospital said its A&E saw 574 patients on June 29, a figure it described as a three-year high and one of its busiest days on record. The Standard reported on July 8 that tennis spectators were among patients being brought in during the latest spell of hot weather. The pressure came as Wimbledon’s 2026 championships were being played under formal heat-rule conditions and London faced another run of high temperatures. ### How high did admissions get at St George’s? St George’s Hospital said 574 patients attended its emergency department on June 29 during London’s second heatwave of the year. The trust said that was its highest daily total apart from June 12, 2023, when the department saw 580 patients. Heat exhaustion and dehydration were among the drivers of emergency admissions on both peak days, according to the hospital and the Standard. The Standard said the hospital was seeing a near-record high in A&E admissions as Wimbledon and the heatwave overlapped. Its report said tennis fans were being rushed from the tournament to St George’s, which serves an area close to the All England Club in southwest London. ### What did the hospital say about Wimbledon’s role? The NHS trust said on July 7 that “Wimbledon also has an impact” on demand as temperatures rise. In the same update, it said hospitals in London and Surrey were bracing for another heatwave as “the warm weather, World Cup and Wimbledon conspire to make more people at risk of falling ill.” It also said it was working with the All England Lawn Tennis Club to keep sports fans safe in the heat, whether they needed help on site or hospital treatment. Tooting’s St George’s is one of the main hospitals serving the area around Wimbledon. The trust’s statement did not give a separate count for tennis-related cases, but it explicitly linked the tournament to added pressure on services during the heat. ### Were these mostly heat-related cases? The hospital and the Standard both pointed to heat exhaustion and dehydration as major factors behind the spike. The trust said another hot spell was expected and warned that more people could become unwell as temperatures climbed again across London and Surrey. NHS England said in a separate June update that A&E departments had “bore the brunt” of earlier heatwave pressure, with national medical director Francesca Swords saying hot weather had driven record demand in parts of the service. That broader NHS warning helps place St George’s figures in the context of wider summer strain across emergency care. ### What precautions were in place at Wimbledon? Wimbledon’s official website says the heat rule applies to all singles events at the 2026 qualifying and main draw. Under that rule, players can take a 10-minute break when heat-stress thresholds are met, with the measure applying across men’s, women’s, junior and wheelchair singles events. ESPN reported that tournament organizers had also made sunscreen samples available to spectators, while other coverage said the All England Club had increased water stations, shade areas and cooling facilities around the grounds. The hospital said it was coordinating with the club as the hot weather continued. ### What happens next as the heat continues? The St George’s trust said on July 7 that hospitals in London and Surrey were bracing for another “blistering heatwave.” Wimbledon’s heat-rule page remains live for the 2026 championships, and the trust said it would continue working with the All England Lawn Tennis Club on support for spectators who fall ill in the heat.