Heatwave causes surge in patients to Brighton hospital (From The Argus)

Heatwave causes surge in patients to Brighton hospital

1:00pm Tuesday 4th October 2011 in News By Rebecca Evans

A hospital considered closing to emergencies as the heat wave caused a surge in patients.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton said it treated hundreds of people over the weekend - 22% more than staff would normally see on a Sunday.

Hospital staff feared they would have to divert patients out of the city.

The majority of patients were treated for minor cuts and bumps from the beach.

However, a spokesman said high temperatures had caused problems for elderly people in the city.

Despite Brighton and Hove's beaches being packed as an estimated 200,000 visitors came to the city, and reports of tombstoning, there were no lifeguards on duty.

A hospital spokesman said: “We have had an influx of older patients who have come in with respiratory problems caused by the high temperatures.”

A total of 341 people were treated on Sunday alone. They would normally expect to treat about 280 people on a Sunday.

The mini-heatwave will come to halt this weekend, with temperatures in Sussex set to drop in a matter of days.

Brighton and Hove City Council admitted there were no life-guards on the beach at the weekend, but trained Seafront Service officers were patrolling the beaches and the seafront on quad bikes.

A spokesman said: “Our lifeguards are employed on temporary contracts which ended at the beginning of September, traditionally the end of the season.

“It would be a waste of resources to keep lifeguards on for a whole month in case of a late season heatwave.”