Health leaders across Bradford are urging people take simple steps to stay safe in the heat.
There has been a surge in people seeking urgent care due to the hot weather in accident and emergency departments at Airedale Hospital and Bradford Royal Infirmary.
local GP and deputy Medical Director for the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, Dr Sohaib Abbas has warned that high temperatures can factor severe health risks, particularly for elderly, young people, and those who already have existing health conditions.
Dr Abbas has spoken out about staying hydrated: “Drinking water and staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do to keep well in hot weather”.
He also mentioned an app you can access to find places with drinkable water: “If you are out and about, you can refill your bottle with free water in lots of places across our district. You can use the ‘Refill Return’ app to find your nearest station”.
Dr Abbas added: “Avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm, when it’s at its hottest. If you do need to go out, stick to the shade, use sun cream, wear sunglasses and wear light coloured, loose clothing”.
People have also been advised to keep an eye out for those who are vulnerable within the community whether it is your neighbour or relatives and are also reminded to never leave babies, children, or animals in parked vehicles in the heat.
Health leaders have advised people can stay indoors where it would be cooler by closing the curtains in the room to avoid sunlight, opening the windows when it is cooler outside and turning off electrical equipment and lights that get hot as that can heat the room up.
Dr Abbas said to contact the NHS online or by call if you are starting to feel unwell: “If you do feel unwell make sure you access the right care in the right place. If you’re unsure what to do, contact NHS 111 online at 111.nhs.uk or by phone, they are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week”
Symptoms of experiencing heat exhaustion include dizziness, tiredness, feeling or being sick, headache, excessive sweating, and weakness. Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical help if someone is cooled down within 30 minutes. You can cool yourself or someone dealing with heat exhaustion by moving to a cool place, removing unnecessary clothing like a jacket or socks, getting them to drink a sports drink or cool water, and cooling their skin by spraying or sponging them with cold water and fanning them. However, if it the heat exhaustion turns into heatstroke, you are urged to treat it as an emergency.
Call 999 now if you can see signs of heatstroke, including:
- still unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids
- a very high temperature
- hot skin that’s not sweating and might look red (this can be harder to see on brown and black skin)
- a fast heartbeat
- fast breathing or shortness of breath
- confusion and lack of coordination
- a seizure or fit
- loss of consciousness
For more information on staying safe this summer visit togetherwe-can.com. Guidance on keeping children safe and water safety can be found on wyhealthiertogether.nhs.uk
