Extreme heat has had a disastrous impact at the county's largest hospital after critical scanners failed.
Staff at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have been working around the clock to get all its MRI scanners at the hospital building and at the Community Diagnostic Centre running again after cooling systems for the machines stopped working.
Bosses say that although some have been brought back into use with the help of a mobile unit, there are still others yet to be restored.
As a result, 362 appointments have been cancelled, which hospital staff are having to reappoint.
An image of an MRI scanner (Image: Newsquest)
The critical incident has led to calls for long-term investment plans into healthcare facilities to ensure the rising temperatures do not impact services to patients.
Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, said: "This is really distressing news for the patients. We need to do so much more to mitigate and adapt our society for what is so evidently a climate crisis.
"More specifically, people running our health services are going to have to build this kind of problem into planning the services for the future, as if that was not difficult enough already."
Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South (Image: Denise Bradley)
Judith Sharpe, deputy CEO at Healthwatch Norfolk, said: "The unusually high temperatures that have contributed to the MRI scanner issues at NNUH are an exceptional circumstance - one that many buildings and healthcare facilities in the UK were not originally designed to withstand.
"We urge those involved in the planning of the new hospital developments in Norfolk, as well as future healthcare services, to ensure sufficient investment and consideration is given to minimise disruption during hot weather."
Judith Sharpe, deputy CEO of Healthwatch Norfolk (Image: Richard Jarmy Photography)
Chris Cobb, chief operating officer for the hospital, said: "We have worked tirelessly in the last 24 hours to bring some of the scanners back online.
"This morning we have received a mobile unit and we now have working scanners across the Trust including the Community Diagnostic Centre, which we are prioritising for inpatients and patients on suspected cancer two week waiting lists.
Picture of Chris Cobb, chief operating officer at NNUH. (Image: NNUH)
"We are working to reappoint all previously 362 cancelled outpatients. These will be prioritised in order of urgency. Our emergency department and those requiring urgent care are not affected.
"We recognise the distress this has caused and will endeavour to get everyone rebooked as soon as possible."
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