Hundreds more people than usualwere admitted to St George's Hospital A&E over the first weekend of October because of the sweltering temperatures.

This time of year the hospital usually admits around 300 people per day but the heatwave meant that an a toal of 1,200 patients walked through the department's doors between October 1-3.

NHS bosses were forced to bring extra consultants from another department in order to cope with the extra demand.

The mercury reached a scorching 29.9C (85.8F) in Gravesend, Kent, on October 1 beating the previous record of 29.4C (84.9F) set in Cambridgeshire in 1985.

Phil Moss, clinical director for A&E and major trauma, said: "The numbers we saw as a result of the hot October weather were well beyond the levels we would expect, with 424 patients attending on Monday alone.

"Our A&E department saw an increase in alcohol related injuries and such patients often take longer to treat because communication can be difficult.

"We also saw more elderly patients who were affected by the sudden high temperatures, leading to problems such as dehydration."

However, the hospital has also reported that many of the people who turned up had a number of minor ailments which could have been dealt with elsewhere.

Mr Moss said: "Though many people needed emergency care, there was a large number who could have gone to a minor injuries unit, walk-in-centre, GP or community pharmacy for treatment.

"As the winter approaches it becomes increasingly important that the public to choose their health services carefully."

It was thought the extreme weather may have caused several deaths over the weekend but Battersea Coroner's Court did not report any major spikes.

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