We are in the midst of another heatwave and, along with sleepless nights, travel disruption and men insisting on running shirtless, something else has become sadly inevitable: a shocking number of drowning deaths.
During the May and June heatwaves, close to 30 people drowned.
These include Palwasha Akbar, 13, who died after she got into difficulties in a North Yorkshire river, Mackenzie Swift, 11, who went missing in the River Don in South Yorkshire, and Junior Slater, 12, who had been swimming in a Lancashire river.
So what is behind this? I believe I’ve seen the answer in my own clinic.
Britain is in the midst of an obesity crisis. And as a keen swimmer myself, I often recommend it as a form of exercise for patients who need to lose weight.
It’s great for the heart and mind, it’s easy on the body for those who are frail or elderly, and it’s reasonably affordable.
However I have been shocked at the number of patients – typically younger adults – who say they never learned to swim.
Of course there have always been those who, for whatever reason, missed out on swimming lessons as children. It’s also true that, back in the 1980s and 1990s, there were significantly more drownings than there are today. In 1983 there were 637 fatalities, compared to 223 in 2019, according to the Water Incident Research Hub.
Palwasha Akbar, 13, drowned in a North Yorkshire river during the May heatwave this year
Mackenzie Swift, 11, went missing in the River Don in Mexborough, South Yorkshire, in May
But this massive drop-off was thanks to a concerted Government effort – water safety advertising campaigns, more lifeguards at open-water swimming spots, and mandated lessons in schools. It’s because of these policies that those born in the 1980s and 1990s are more likely to know how to swim than any other generation.
However, in recent years the number of drownings began to rise again. In 2020 it rose to 254. Then, in 2021, to 275.
Recent analysis carried out by Oxford University concluded one in four children leave primary school unable to swim 25 metres – the average length of a pool. What is going on here?
Undoubtedly, the Covid pandemic has played a big part. Countless children will have missed out on crucial early swimming lessons and, as such, may have lost the chance to learn at all.
Junior Slater 12, died ater getting into difficulty in the River Ribble in Ribchester
Moreover, many of those Covid children are now teenagers, venturing out to beaches or lakes with their friends for the first time.
But the issue goes further back than Covid. Swimming lessons are part of the national school curriculum. But I know from schools in my area of London that this often does not happen.
Schools have limited budgets so swimming trips are often skipped. It doesn’t help either that pools have been disappearing across the UK at astonishing rates.
However, parents must also bear some responsibility. When I swim at my local pool on the weekend and I’m always struck by the lack of children playing in the water.
It was not like this when I was young. Most kids back then couldn’t wait to go to the pool. But, today, children are much more likely to spend time staring at their phones.
But this issue isn’t just about the risk of drowning. As I’ve mentioned, swimming is an incredible form of exercise. Getting your children into the pool will keep them safe now but it will also improve their health later in life.
There is a solution to this. Primary pupils should be tested on their swimming proficiency before they move on to secondary. Those who fail could be offered extra lessons. But this requires the Government to take this issue seriously, which it so far has not.
It is madness that in a country as obsessed with health and safety as the UK, that drowning deaths should be on the rise again.
How many more will it take before anything is done?
The scarcity of public toilets is stopping people from going out
Facilities have dropped by 14 per cent since 2016, which is said to have created public toilet ‘deserts’ across the country
I’m becoming worried about the sharp fall in the number of public toilets.
Every week I see patients who tell me they are afraid to leave the house in case they get caught short.
This is often due to old-age bladder or bowel problems. Often these people have had a horrible experience where they desperately tried – and failed – to find somewhere to go.
It’s a topic this newspaper highlighted during the Covid pandemic, but it seems like it has only got worse since then. According to the Royal Society for Public Health, facilities have dropped by 14 per cent since 2016 which it says has created public toilet ‘deserts’ across the country.
Something needs to change. Have you been affected by a lack of public toilets? Please write in and let me know.
I’m well past menopause so why am I getting hot flushes?
I’m 68 and I’ve developed hot flushes. I went through the menopause more than a decade ago – should I be concerned about them?
Dr Ellie Cannon replies: New flushing or sweating should always prompt a visit to the doctor.
It’s true that these symptoms are common signs of the menopause and, for some women, these issues can continue for decades. This is why many women continue to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT), well into their 70s and 80s.
However, flushing and sweating can also be triggered by other, more dangerous conditions.
One could be the lung infection tuberculosis. This may also be accompanied with fatigue, a cough and a high temperature.
Sweating can also be a sign of lymphoma – a form of blood cancer.
A GP can run blood tests and order X-rays to see if one of these conditions is the cause.
Certain medicines, including antidepressants, can also trigger hot flushes and sweating.
But, in some cases, these symptoms can be a result of simply ageing. As we get older, our tolerance for alcohol, spicy food and caffeine can reduce, and lead to flushing and sweating.
