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Thousands in hospital due to firework and bonfire injuries

NHS doctors have teamed up with St John Ambulance to urge revellers to stay safe during Guy Fawkes Night and Diwali celebrations as new figures show thousands end up in hospital each year due to firework and bonfire injuries.

According to NHS Digital, there were almost 2,000 occasions of people going to A&E because of fireworks last year. While over the bonfire night and Diwali period last year, more than 35,000 people sought advice from the NHS.uk website on how to treat burns and scalds, a significant jump on usual numbers.

A spokesman for NHS England said, while most people who come a cropper because of pyrotechnics can be patched up in A&E and sent home the same day, over the last five years there have been almost 1,000 hospital admissions relating to the discharge of a firework.

Nine out of ten of those cases were male, and injuries were most common amongst millennials – with 20-34-year olds accounting for more than one in three hospital spells, the spokesman said.

Ahead of this year’s bonfire night, the NHS’ most senior A&E doctor, Dr Cliff Mann, is calling on the public to plan ahead and take care during the period covering bonfire night and Diwali. And to use the NHS website and free NHS 111 phoneline and new web service for fast advice on how to get help if things do go wrong. He said:

‘We all want Diwali and fireworks night to go with a bang of dazzling lights, but people need to take care that their festivities don’t end up with the flashing blue lights of an NHS ambulance.

‘So we’re urging people to remember, remember the 5th of November for the right reasons, and take simple steps to stay safe, as well as learn some basic first aid skills.

‘And while the NHS is always there for those who need it, people with minor illnesses and injuries can help frontline staff focus on those who need help most by getting free expert advice from the NHS.uk website, or the NHS 111 phone and online service.”

A spokesman for NHS England said, while injuries can happen at any firework displays, they are more common at private or family displays where trained first aiders won’t be on hand to help, so if you are hosting one, ensure that you have a first aid kit to hand in case an accident occurs.

Common injuries from fireworks or bonfires include burns and scalds to the head and hands, shock and eye injuries.

Health charity St John Ambulance is also urging everyone to learn some basic first aid skills to help prevent avoidable trips to hospitals and reduce pressure on the NHS. Dr Lynn Thomas, medical director at St John Ambulance, said:

‘Every year, our highly skilled volunteers keep local communities safe at firework events across the country. Attendees at these events can be reassured that expert help is on hand if they need it.

‘For those celebrating at smaller community events, we would urge extreme caution and advise strictly following instructions when handling, lighting and watching fireworks.

In those unfortunate instances when someone has a minor injury, knowing what to do and acting fast can prevent further harm and relieve suffering. However, always dial 999 in the case of serious injuries.’

Photo Credit – Pixabay

Laura O'Neill
Reporter

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