Repeated heatwaves strain French emergency services and expose hospital weaknesses

A new survey released on 17 September by the SAMU-Urgences de France union evaluated the impact of the 2026 summer heatwaves on the French healthcare system. Respondents—including 143 emergency physicians, service managers, SAMU and SMUR staff from about 80 departments—reported that nearly nine out of ten emergency units experienced a surge in activity during the extreme temperature episodes. Yann Penverne, the union’s president, said the heatwaves revealed deep-seated structural weaknesses, pointing to the growing number of “patients on stretchers” who spend at least one night in emergency corridors.

He noted that this situation can worsen patients’ conditions and increase excess mortality, a link documented in scientific studies. Twenty-six facilities reported at least one death among such patients, though the union cautioned that the data do not establish a direct causal relationship.