Rise in visits to NHS stings and bites website amid heatwaves
One day in July the website had the equivalent of one visit every 18 seconds.
Figures show the recent multiple heatwaves have led to a surge in the numb er of us heading to the NHS website for advice about insect bites and stings.
In England, hospital visits for insect and spider bites also more than doubled in May compared to the previous month.
Analysis by NHS England also found:
- In June visits to the NHS website page on bites and stings hit 90,206
- This soared by 35.2% in July when there were 121,976 visits.
- Website hits peaked the week of July 6, when there were 33,972 visits – the equivalent of one every 18 seconds.
- There were 1,232 hospital visits for insect and spider bites in May, more than double the 495 recorded in April.
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.”
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”.
Rain has arrived in some parts of the UK this week following the fifth heatwave of the year so far.
The hottest day of the year was recorded in Kew Gardens, London, on August 13 when the temperature reached 38.1C.