Booze, burns and bites top NHS Christmas health advice list

Booze, burns and bites are top of the list of NHS health advice being sought over Christmas.

The NHS website’s information on alcohol, burns, rabies and animal bites showed the biggest increases in visits on Christmas Day and Boxing Day last year, newly released figures from NHS England show.

Top of the list was advice on breastfeeding and drinking alcohol, with views soaring by 146% compared to the week before Christmas. Information on alcohol poisoning also showed a big increase, with almost 60% more views on 25 and 26 December 2023 than during a normal 48 hours.

Visits to advice on rabies showed the second biggest increase with an 123% rise, while views of information on animal and human bites rose by almost a third.

And as people gathered for celebration meals, guidance on burns and scalds and how to treat them also proved more popular than usual, with up to 50% more visits on the website than the week before.

The most commonly viewed health condition page over Christmas and Boxing Day 2023, apart from COVID-19, was norovirus with an estimated 19,170 visits over the 48 hours – equivalent to one view every nine seconds.

Other popular pages on the NHS website over the festive season included health advice on chest infections, which had 17,398 visits – equal to one every 10 seconds – and on diarrhoea and vomiting, which had 11,786 views.

The NHS website, which is managed by NHS England, is the UK’s biggest health website with over two million visits each day. The site contains advice on hundreds of conditions and other important health information, such as how to access flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, which are crucial for those eligible, and other ways to stay well in winter.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s Medical Director, said: “We hope everyone has a happy and healthy Christmas – but accidents and injuries can happen, so if you do burn yourself putting the roast potatoes in the oven, or you pick up a winter virus and want some support to manage the symptoms, the NHS website is the best place to find useful advice on what to do.

“NHS staff will still be working hard throughout the festive season to provide care for those most in need and anyone in need of emergency help should contact 999, or 111 for less urgent health needs.

“For other health advice, the NHS website and the NHS App are available around the clock and contain a wealth of helpful information as well as providing access to NHS services.”

The NHS website has over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990 medical conditions as well as other health services, including applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for healthcare cover abroad, and finding a GP.

Hospitals in England have been managing record flu levels this winter. Coming forward for vaccinations is the best defence against winter viruses and flu and COVID-19 jabs are still available to book through local NHS vaccination services, such as pharmacies or walk-in sites.