NHS web visits to heat exhaustion advice surge by nearly 200 per cent

Visits to the heat exhaustion advice on the NHS website have increased by 198 pre cent as temperatures rise across England. 

There have been 31,524 visits to the heat exhaustion and heatstroke web page in the 48 hours since a heat-health alert was introduced across most of England at midday on Wednesday, compared to 10,578 visits on Monday and Tuesday.

Analysis by NHS England, which runs the nhs.uk website, found that visits peaked after the alert was upgraded to an amber status across the whole of England at midday on Thursday, with 20,048 visits in 24 hours – equivalent to one visit every five seconds.

Very high pollen levels across the country have also led to web visits to the NHS’s advice on hay fever rising by 86% in the past seven days (13-19 June) to 53,656, compared to 28,914 in the previous week (6-12 June).

Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical help if you can cool down within 30 minutes but if it turns into heatstroke, it needs to be treated as an emergency.

Dr Claire Fuller, NHS Co-National Medical Director (Primary Care), said: “We’ve seen a surge in visits to both our heat exhaustion and hay fever advice over the past week, with the high pollen levels also having an impact on people’s health.

“The heat-health alert remains in place across England until Monday morning, so I’d encourage everyone to continue to follow the advice on the NHS website over the weekend to stay safe.

“The heat exhaustion and heatstroke web page includes useful tips on how to stay cool, the symptoms of heat exhaustion, what to do if someone is affected and when to seek medical advice.”

Signs of heat exhaustion include tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling sick, sweating, or clammy skin, cramps, fast breathing or heartbeat, a high temperature, being very thirsty and feeling weak.

If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down and given fluids.

The NHS advises moving them to a cool place, removing unnecessary clothing, giving them a rehydration drink or cool water, and cooling their skin with water, a fan or cold packs wrapped in a cloth.

Tips to help prevent heat exhaustion including drinking more cold drinks, wearing light-coloured and loose clothing, and closing curtains and windows if it’s hotter outside than inside your home.

The NHS website, which is managed by NHS England, is the UK’s biggest health website with around 701 million visits throughout 2024 from people seeking information and advice.

It includes over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990 medical conditions. Other health services available on the website include applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card for healthcare cover abroad and finding a finding a GP.