PATIENTS and staff in Hereford County Hospital have been suffering with the rest of the public in dealing with record-breaking temperatures.

Visitors to the hospital have reported conditions in the wards as 'dreadful' with no air conditioning systems installed to relieve the situation.

Some had brought in fans to help cool their relatives down.

Managers agree that the unrelenting heat has made it 'uncomfortable' for some patients.

But acting director of nursing and quality Lynne Kedward said there had not been a big increase in the number of complaints, despite the heat.

Extra fans had been brought in and she was checking with every ward sister to see if more were necessary.

Water cooling towers had already been installed in wards so that fresh water was always available, she said.

Mrs Kedward said the lack of air conditioning in wards was not unusual. The system could be responsible for spreading germs from ward to ward.

Hereford Hospital Trust spokesman Mike Johnson said air conditioning was installed in operating theatres, intensive care and coronary care departments.

Other areas were provided with equipment to deal with the situation when necessary but the wards relied on the natural circulation of air through the windows.

Responding to criticism from a visitor that ward windows only opened about six inches, he said this was necessary for safety reasons. The tops of the windows did have trickle vents to allow more movement of air, he said.

Mr Johnson said it was worked out that only about 10 days, or even less each year, produced such hot air problems.

He confirmed that any fans taken into the hospital by visitors for the benefit of patients would have to be tested by staff before being used.

One visitor told the Hereford Times that he would be happy to buy half a dozen fans to help distressed patients.