Heart attacks and strokes surge in days following a cold snap, NHS England warns

As frigid air continues to grip Britain, the number of people being admitted to A&E is likely to increase significantly, NHS England has reported.

Data reveals that heart attacks increase almost immediately following a cold snap, accounting for two in five winter excess deaths.

Hospitals also see a rise in the admission of stroke patients five days after a bout of cold weather.

Keith Willett, NHS England national director for Acute Care, said: “What the public are unaware of is the immediate knock on effect of the cold weather."

“Patients who have pre-existing conditions may not be aware that they are most at risk of falling ill in the days after temperatures drop.”

Data also reveals that chilling air has an effect on respiratory conditions.

Admissions for these illnesses typically rise 12 days after a significant drop in temperatures.

For every one degree that the temperature drops below 5 C, there is a 10 percent rise in elderly people presenting with breathing problems and almost a 1 percent increase in emergency admissions, they said.

This means a temperature drop of just 5 degrees Celsius can result in a 4-5 percent increase in A&E admissions.

Willett said: “This also adds pressure on already busy A&E departments and can be avoided by taking simple steps to keep well.”

Health officials are urging the public to keep an eye on elderly neighbours, as they become most vulnerable during the winter months.

The elderly are advised to keep warm and heat their homes to a minimum of 18 degrees Celsius. They also advise anyone feeling unwell to consult a pharmacist immediately.

During the winter of 2016/2017, there were 400,000 additional A&E attendances.

This brought the total admissions to over 7.5 million, an increase of over 5 percent on the previous year.

Report a Typo