HOSPITAL chiefs have said the current heatwave has put ‘considerable strain’ on its urgent care centres.

With temperatures over the past week hitting the mid-20s, more people than usual were attending for treatment, often for avoidable reasons.

And the trust which runs the hospitals said it was bracing itself for more demand over the weekend after the Met Office issued a level three heatwave warning, one step down from national emegency, for the North West region.

Ian Stanley, deputy medical director at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are seeing a significant increase in attendance at our Urgent Care Centres at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital during this prolonged period of good weather with heat-related and general outdoor activity-related injuries and illness.

“This is placing considerable strain on the resources in the Urgent Care Centres.

“I would remind people to keep out of the sun where possible and to wear a hat and use sunscreen when outdoors as well as making sure you drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.

“If you are suffering from sunburn or something similar, remember that your local pharmacist or GP will be able to help and will ensure the Urgent Care Centre is kept free for the treatment and care of people with urgent injuries and illnesses.”

Yesterday, the Met Office placed the North West on amber alert for potential heatwave.

A spokesman said: “There is a 90 per cent probability of heatwave conditions by 9pm today.

“This will become less hot for a time over the weekend, however temperatures could increase again early next week with a likelihood of level 3 being reached again.

“Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases.”

The North West Ambulance Service took more than 13,000 calls in Cumbria and Lancashire over the first two weeks in July.

A spokeswoman said the volume of calls was the same as the service would expect during the winter, usually their busiest period, and it would normally be much quieter in July.

Director of emergency services, Derek Cartwright said: ‘We all want to enjoy the warm weather, but no-one wants an avoidable visit to the accident and emergency department.

“During the summer, we traditionally see a rise in the number of cases such as assaults and falls due to alcohol misuse, accidents with barbecues and children who go swimming in lakes and rivers, so we would urge people to think carefully about what they are doing.

“Our services are urgently needed by those who are seriously ill or have life-threatening conditions and the public can help us by not calling 999 unless it is a serious emergency and by taking care of themselves and others.”

The RSPCA has also warned pet owners to make sure their animals do not suffer because of the intense heat.

The animal charity reported around 350 calls to animals trapped in hot cars across the country over the weekend of July 6 and 7, with one dead dog pulled from a car in Bury.

Charity spokeswoman Leanne Plumtree said: “In weather like this it is essential that people take special care to ensure their animals are safe and comfortable.

“All animals must have a constant supply of clean, fresh drinking water.

“It is also important to ensure they are not in direct sunlight, unless they choose to be, and can get to a cool, shady place to escape from the sun at all times of day.

“Road surfaces and sand can get very hot and burn animals’ feet, so walk dogs on grass and early in the morning or late at night when it is cooler.

“Dogs should not be left in cars at all and anyone who sees a dog in a car in this weather should call 999 immediately.

A fire service spokesman said firefighters were on standby if the hot weather caused major problems for the fire service in East Lancashire John Taylor said: “Plenty of folk will remember the week-long moorland fire we had in Belmont a couple of years ago.

“Thankfully, so far this year we have had nothing anywhere near that scale.

“We have had a lot of isolated fires, usually on small patches of grass in urban areas or on the edges of parks, which are sadly usually deliberately started.

“When the vegetation is so parched as it is now, there is always the risk of discarded cigarettes causing fires, which can easily spread and become major incidents.

“We want the public to be more aware. They need to help us help them to stay safe.”