NHS struggling to cope amid surge in flu, heart attacks and norovirus as Storm Emma ‘puts lives at risk’
THE NHS is struggling to cope as Storm Emma and the Beast from the East collide threaten to trigger a surge in cases of flu, the winter vomiting bug and heart attacks.
A "perfect storm" of appalling weather, persistently high flu admissions and a spike in norovirus cases put the NHS under considerable pressure last week.
Doctors are urging people to "think ahead" and stay at home as more snow and cold weather is set to descend upon the UK, with temperatures expected to plummet to -15C in parts of the UK.
Brits have been warned to stock up on food and medicine as parts of the country are set to be blasted with up to two feet of snow.
And doctors warned more hospitals could be forced to cancel non-urgent operations and appointments as staff struggle to make it into work.
An NHS England spokesman said: "Dedicated NHS staff continue to work hard in the face of a 'perfect storm' of appalling weather, persistently high flu hospitalisations and a renewed spike in norovirus.
"With the severe conditions expected to continue, we ask patients and their families to bear with us as we seek to minimise any disruption."
Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, added: "Today and the next few days will particularly stretch trusts, with staff struggling to get to work and ambulance trusts having immense problems getting patients to and from hospital.
"A lot of hospitals will cancel routine work over the next few days as a consequence of both of these.
"Overall NHS staff are pulling together and making immense efforts to keep people our hospitals safe."
A fresh wave of snow arrived in the UK this week and has relentlessly swept wintry showers across the country, and they continued in earnest last night.
Yellow weather warnings for snow or wind remain in place across much of Britain for the whole day and amber warnings for snow and ice for the north-east and the south-east.
Public Health England (PHE) has issued a level-3 ‘Cold Weather Action’ alert – just one step below ‘National Emergency’.
Dr Thomas Waite, from PHE's extreme events team, said: "With more cold and for some snow on the way, now is the time to think ahead.
"Consider what you need to stock up on. Do you need food or essential supplies such as medicines?
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"With many places facing severe weather it’s really important people do what they need to, to stay warm – especially with the cold forecast to stay for several days.
"Heating homes to at least 18C will help keep you healthy. Also, make sure you eat warm food, move about at home and wear several thin layers instead of fewer thicker ones.
"It may be harder for some people to get out later this week when more snow arrives, so if you know someone at risk, someone with heart or lung conditions, young children or someone who is over 65, please take the time to check and see if there’s anything they need.
"Everyone should keep up to date with weather forecasts so you’re not caught out.
"Staying well in conditions like this can be a challenge, so if you can check on someone whose health may be at risk, please do."
Last week more than 12,300 patients had to wait longer than 30 minutes to be seen after arriving at A&E in ambulances last week, with more than 2,870 patients having to wait more than an hour.
There were 13 cases of ambulances being diverted away from A&E departments last week, while the number of bed closures due to norovirus, or diarrhoea and vomiting, rose from an average of 841 beds to 949 beds closed per day.
There were 20 flu-related deaths in the last week, according to figures from Public Health England, and a further 150 patients were in intensive care.
There have been 271 confirmed flu-related deaths so far this winter.
NHS England and A&E doctors are urging people to protect themselves during the cold snap by taking steps to stay warm, avoiding unnecessary admissions to hospital.
People, particularly the vulnerable elderly, are being urged to keep their home heated to at least 18C all day.
Professor Willet, NHS England medical director for acute care, said: “People with respiratory illnesses are particularly vulnerable during cold weather.
“For every one degree that the temperature drops below five degrees, there is a 10 per cent rise in elderly people presenting with breathing problems and almost a one per cent increase in emergency admissions.
“Therefore if the temperature drops five degrees there will be a 4-5 per cent increase in people being admitted to hospital.”
As the cold weather looks set to stay for the next few days, here's how it could affect your health.
1. Asthma
Breathing in freezing cold air can make asthma symptoms worse for the 5.4 million Brits who suffer the condition, increasing the risk of an attack.
That's because the cold, damp air gets into the airways and causes them to go into spasm, causing an asthma attack.
Each day in the UK three people die from asthma attacks, according to the Asthma UK.
An attack happens when a person's airways start to tighten, which can leave them coughing, wheezing and gasping for breath.
But there is one surprising way you can protect your airways - wrap up warm in a scarf.
By wearing a scarf over the mouth and nose it can help warm up the air before you breathe it in, lowering the risk of an attack.
Asthma UK’s #Scarfie campaign encourages asthmatics to spread the message a “scarf could save a life”.
2. Heart attacks and stroke
The freezing temperatures can also affect your heart and brain.
Several studies have found that people who are exposed to cold weather are more likely to suffer a heart attack.
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It is thought the risk of heart attacks is higher in cold weather because the body responds to feeling chilly by restricting superficial blood vessels.
This decreases how warm the skin is and increases blood flow through the arteries.
The body also begins to shiver and your heart rate increases to keep you warm.
But these responses can add extra stress on your heart.
A recent study from Sweden followed 280,000 people and found that when the average temperature dipped below zero there were four more heart attacks per day than when temperatures were warmer.
Cold weather can also cause blood vessels to spasm, increasing your risk of stroke.
A stroke occurs when your blood supply is cut off to your brain.
People with high blood pressure, the elderly and people with underlying heart conditions should take extra care in the cold.
3. Flu
Cold weather also causes a spike in flu cases.
This year's flu season is one of the most serious we have seen with cases of the Aussie flu and Japanese flu sweeping across the country.
The latest stats from PHE reveal 271 people have died of the flu this year.
Flu-related deaths are often caused by another infection triggered by the virus, the most common being pneumonia.
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People over the age of 65, young children, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions like asthma and heart disease are the most at-risk in the community.
They're most likely to catch flu and also most likely to suffer complications, and even death, from the illness.
That's because people in any of these groups have weaker immune systems, which means they are more susceptible to the virus and more susceptible to complications like pneumonia.
Each year about 30,000 people in the UK die from pneumonia, according to the British Lung Foundation.
Dr Richard Russell, a consultant chest physician and medical director of the British Lung Foundation, told The Sun online: "If the flu virus infects the lung you can get, not only bronchitis, but you can also get viral pneumonia.
"You can then get a secondary bacterial pneumonia, with the infection often coming from bacteria that’s in your mouth and airways entering your lungs.
"Because the flu has led to a suppression of your immune system you then get the secondary infection."
It is these secondary infections that kill vulnerable people, so be sure to be up to date with your vaccines and stay inside and warm.
4. Arthritis
Arthritis is a common condition that causes pain and inflammation in a joint.
It can cause joint pain, stiffness, inflammation around the joints, restricted movement of the joints, muscles weakness and wasting.
And the cold weather can make the condition more painful.
Part of this is thought to be down to blood flow.
If more blood is flowing to your internal organs to keep them warm it can make it harder to keep the joints warm and moving.
According to the NHS there is no evidence to suggest that changes in the weather cause joint damage.
They advise that people with arthritis maintain a daily exercise routine to help keep the joints mobile.
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5. Allergies
You may have thought your allergies were just during spring time, but cold weather can also make them worse.
But as people tend to spend more time indoors - where there is often dust, pet hair, mould and mildew all year round - they are exposed to just as many irritants as they would be during hay fever season.
And, as discussed above, your airways can become inflamed during the colder months which means you are even more susceptible to irritants.
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