Reptile bites, lightning strikes and injuries from volcanoes treated by NHS

THE NHS treated patients with crocodile bites and people injured during volcanic eruptions in 2019/20, new figures show.

The health service in England also cared for three patients who were the “victim of lightning”.

These were some of the more obscure events the NHS dealt with between April 1 2019 and March 31 2020. According to the hospital patient care activity statistics, there were also 490 injuries related to lawnmowers. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 people were treated after slipping on ice or snow.

There were 4,489 falls involving ice-skates, skis, roller-skates or skateboards which were serious enough to warrant hospital treatment. More than 8,100 children were treated after falling from playground equipment, according to the NHS Digital figures.

Medics also treated 10 people who were “bitten or struck by crocodile or alligator”. Rat bites were responsible for 48 hospital “episodes” across England, and 47 people were treated after incidents involving venomous snakes and lizards. Contact with scorpions was listed as the reason for another 10 consultations, and more than 60 people were admitted to hospitals in England after encounters with venomous spiders.

Hot tap water was responsible for 714 medical incidents.

Three people were admitted to hospital after being the “victim of lightning” and another three because of earthquakes. Five people were treated for injuries from “volcanic eruption”.