NHS sees surge in bite or sting-related searches during heatwave
The hot weather's led to a surge in visits to the NHS website, according to new research
As the NHS sees a surge in bite or sting related surges, people who have been affected are being urged to visit the NHS website for more care information.
New stats show the hot weather's led to a surge in visits to the NHS website, and that hospital visits for insect and spider bites more than doubled in May.
Website hits peaked during the week of July 6, when there were 33,972 visits – the equivalent of one every 18 seconds.
Professor Frankie Swords, national medical director at NHS England, said: “Insect bites and stings often increase during the summer and this month we’ve seen a large rise in the number of people seeking advice on these from the NHS website.
“If you or your family member has been bitten or stung, the NHS website provides a wealth of useful information on what to do and how to treat the symptoms, as well as when to consult your community pharmacist.
“A pharmacist can also recommend and provide treatments, such as antihistamines and steroid creams, and if appropriate, give the same antibiotics as a GP if need be when a bite or sting is infected.”
Analysis by NHS England found there were 90,206 visits to the NHS website page on bites and stings in June.
This soared by 35.2% in July when there were 121,976 visits.
It was also found that there were 1,232 hospital visits for insect and spider bites in May, more than double the 495 recorded in April.
It comes after health officials said there had been a record 2.5 million A&E attendances in July as the health service faced a “summer surge”.