Being a GP in the summer 'getting more difficult'

Health leaders say repeated heatwaves and an influx of holidaymakers are putting growing pressure on NHS services across Somerset.

NHS England said A&E departments hit a record 2.5 million attendances in July during two heatwaves, describing the rise in demand as a national "summer surge".

In West Somerset, GP Dr David Davies said hot weather had made it "a very difficult summer", with more people seeking treatment for heat-related illnesses.

Davies said his practice in Dunster, on the edge of Exmoor, had treated tourists for heatstroke, heat rash, insect stings and tick bites, while some had arrived without enough prescription medication.

Asked whether summer was becoming more challenging for GPs, he said: "It is. I don't think there's any doubt about that. The numbers themselves are increasing."

Dunster is among several Somerset destinations where visitor numbers swell during the summer months, placing additional demand on local services.

Davies said growing visitor numbers were adding to demand alongside an increase in elderly patients suffering from dehydration and urinary tract infections.

He urged people to make sure they had enough prescription medicine before travelling and to keep a record of any medical conditions in case treatment was needed away from home.

Dr Emma Redfern, consultant in emergency medicine at Bristol Royal Infirmary and medical director at NHS England South West, said hospitals were experiencing similar challenges.

"In the heat we are seeing dehydration, we're seeing heat exhaustion, sunburn, obviously there's been a very tragic spate of water-related injuries with young people swimming in areas that haven't got a lifeguard and getting into difficulty there."

Redfern said both hot weather and increased visitor numbers were adding pressure to hospitals, although NHS organisations were working together to manage demand.

She believes the health service will increasingly need to prepare for summer in the same way it plans for winter

"Summers are going to become an entity like preparing for the winter surges that we have," she said.

The view is shared nationally. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper recently said the NHS must begin planning for summer pressures "in the same way we do for winter".

The Royal College of Physicians has called for greater resilience to extreme heat, warning it can increase hospital admissions for respiratory, kidney and metabolic conditions, particularly among older people.

Community pharmacies are also seeing the impact of the busy holiday season.

Yvonne Lamb, operations manager for Community Pharmacy Somerset, said pharmacies in visitor hotspots often faced additional demand during the summer months.

"We have our normal day-to-day patients. Particularly in tourist hotspots, when we have more patients it may impact on our regular pharmacy day."

One of the most common issues, she said, was visitors arriving without enough medication for their stay.

Like Davies, Lamb urged people to check they had sufficient prescription medicine before travelling.

She said the healthcare system would need to continue adapting as summers became hotter and busier.

"The whole healthcare system will have to adapt for future summers like we do for winter pressures," she said.

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