DIY - lovers urged to take care as accidents rise

DIY-lovers are being urged to take care this bank holiday weekend as new figures show a rise in accidents caused by power tools.
The incidents involved home-ownersThe incidents involved home-owners
The incidents involved home-owners

Data for England shows there were 4,764 admissions to NHS hospitals in 2017/18 for injuries from drills and other power tools - up 7% on the 4,446 three years earlier.

A further 6,372 admissions were for people ending up in hospital after tumbling from a ladder, while 519 admissions involved an accident with a lawnmower.

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The incidents involved home-owners but also people working in the building trade or gardeners.

Separate figures on patients seen by hospital consultants show that men are seen more often than women.

In the 12 months to March, there were 7,400 occasions when men needed consultant care after being injured by a lawnmower or tool, compared with fewer than 1,200 women.

Consultants also had to help men 5,000 times after they fell from a ladder, compared with 1,260 cases involving women.

The statistics were compiled by NHS Digital.

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Dr Cliff Mann, NHS national clinical adviser for A&E, urged people tempted by DIY to be careful.

He said: "While there are plenty of ways to come a cropper with your DIY, fortunately there are also plenty of places to get help from the NHS this bank holiday.

"Urgent treatment centres can provide convenient access to care for anyone who needs it, while tens of thousands more appointments will be available in GP practices over the long weekend than last Easter, while high street pharmacists can also offer expert help as part of our long-term plan for the NHS.

"If you are unsure where to turn, advice is available online and over the phone from the NHS 111 service."