"So I've been clear: the NHS has to make sure we are preparing for summer pressures now in the same way we prepare for winter." She added: "But it also needs much stronger prevention – we know that it's the elderly and vulnerable who are at risk when you have these heatwaves." READ MORE:She said the NHS needs "much greater resilience" to cope with the growing number of people needing medical help during periods of extreme heat. She told The Guardian: "There is a remarkable determination of the NHS to respond, but we need much greater resilience. Health leaders have also warned England could be on course for its highest number of heat-related deaths since current records began.