Health warning as temperatures soar

Naomi Cassidy

HEALTH bosses have urged people to stay safe and look out for the vulnerable as the region prepares to enter a heatwave.

Hospitals have been put on alert for any potential rush in heat-related conditions, and health professionals have issued advice about what to do as the temperatures continue to heat up.

NHS Suffolk is working with partner organisations, including Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Community Healthcare, Ipswich Hospital and West Suffolk Hospital, to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.

The East of England Ambulance Trust has also reported that the hot weekend was their busiest period for calls since New Year's Eve and has urged people only to call 999 in an emergency. A total of 3,722 calls came into the ambulance service on Saturday and Sunday, and with more hot weather predicted, this could rise if people do not take some simple precautions to stay safe in the sun.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes put at 7/1 the odds of the mercury rising above the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK - thermometers reached a whopping 38.5C (101.3F) in Kent in August 2003.

Today, temperatures hit 25C (77F), the hottest day in Suffolk for ten months.

The Department of Health issued a warning last week as the hot weather can be dangerous for the very young, older people or those with serious illnesses.

Dr David Kanka, deputy director of public health at NHS Suffolk, said: “Our advice to everyone is to keep cool - that means staying out of the sun from 11am until 3pm, avoiding exertion, drinking plenty of cold drinks, keeping your environment cool - and also looking out for other people.

“It is particularly important that vulnerable or older people, and those who care for them, are aware of the importance of staying cool and taking this advice as the weather gets hotter - particularly in Suffolk's larger towns.”

Weather experts say the temperatures across Suffolk and Essex this week could reach as high as 27C (80F).