DOCTORS and staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital are getting hot under the collar as temperatures in the "state of the art" building rose well into the 80s during the recent heatwave.

Concerns were raised as temperatures soared in the city this week and staff are now demanding action before the next hot spell.

Medics are also worried the lack of air conditioning in many parts of the hospital will lead to patients catching infections.

The Evening News was contacted by a doctor from the hospital who said they were having to endure and work in temperatures of more than 30C (86F).

"We have taken a thermometer around different parts of the hospital and the temperature varies from 29C to 31C," he said.

"It is not just the staff who cannot work - it is putting the patients at risk.

"I would not be surprised if a lot of people caught infections in this heat."

The doctor, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions from hospital bosses, said the feelings of staff had gone beyond annoyance.

"A hospital must have good ventilation to prevent germs from breeding," he said.

"It is just common sense. The patients are saying it's too hot and the visiting relatives are complaining.

"All we have got are personal fans that people have brought from home."

A spokesman for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said there were a range of measures in place to keep temperatures down.

"We have full air conditioning in a number of clinical areas, including operating theatres and critical care.

"In other areas, there are comfort cooling systems, and in some places there are other forms of mechanical ventilation," he said.

"We're not aware of any NHS hospital in the country that has full air conditioning, because it would be extremely expensive and would only be put to use on a handful of days during a typical year."

He said the trust's PFI partners were conscious of the need to make patients and staff as comfortable as possible.

"If any members of staff have concerns about the temperature, they should raise the issue with trust managers or PFI managers," he added.

The Royal was one of the first privately-financed hospitals to be built in Britain, and it opened last year.

Have you spent any time in Worcestershire Royal Hospital this month? How was your experience? Tell us your story by contacting the newsroom on 01905 74 22 55.