Britain's heatwave causing huge rise in horsefly bite and admissions in hospitals

Britain's blistering heatwave temperatures have sparked a surge in horsefly bites.

Hospital bosses have seen increasing numbers of people attending emergency departments with nasty nips.

But patients are being urged to consider going to the pharmacy instead of A&E for issues like bites and pain relief.

A spokesperson from NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group said: “On one night this week in one of our EDs there were 10 people with horsefly bites.

“Treatment for this starts at home and further advice can be sought through a pharmacy.”

“If you attend ED but could be seen more appropriately by a different service, you may be redirected there.”

The advice comes as record breaking temperatures, rising Covid rates and the start of a busy summer break are putting huge pressure on health services in the South West.

The spokesperson also said the pharmacy would be the most appropriate place to seek help for issues like period or constipation complaints, simple pain relief, dressings and sutures and lost or forgotten meds.

They added that for long-term injuries like a four-month shoulder pain or three-month-old foot injury, the best place to go would be either your GP or self-referral to a physio.

Things are expected to get even hotter as meteorologists unveiled an unprecedented 41C forecast for the UK.

An extreme heat warning is now in force across south-eastern and central England on Monday and Tuesday, with a less-severe amber warning has been issued across the rest of the country at the start of next week.

A separate level-4 'national emergency' heat-health alert warns of dangerous heatwave conditions into mid-week.

Jim Dale, meteorologist for British Weather services, said: “It is now entirely possible we could hit 40C at the start of next week, and without question we are going into a period of hot weather that has the potential to kill.