Scarlet Fever among NHS website's top 10 most searched for conditions in 2022

A 2022 Top 10 list compiled by NHS Digital shows the most popular pages related to Coronavirus, with 16.3 million visits to advice on Covid19 symptoms, testing and self care, followed by 4.3 million clicks on Long Covid.

High Blood Pressure was the 3rd most visited condition, attracting 3.8 million views, while:- Scarlet Fever, Chickenpox and Monkeypox all saw big increases in visits, compared with 2021.

Visits to the Chickenpox page more than doubled in 2022 to become the fourth most visited condition, with 3.7 million against 1.7 million in 2021.

Scarlet Fever was the seventh most visited page, with 3 million visits in 2022; 7 times the amount of clicks in 2021, when there were 414,000.

There were also 60 times as many visits to the page on Monkeypox with 2.1 million in 2022, compared to only 35,000 in 2021.

Visits to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) page remained high, increasing from 3.1 million in 2021 to 3.5 million in 2022, making it the fifth most visited condition of the year.

Searches for fever in children were also up in 2022, with 3.4 million visits compared with 2.9 million in 2021, and diarrhoea and vomiting page visits increased from 2.4 million in 2021 to 2.9 million in 2022.

Tonsillitis received 2.8 million hits in 2022 from 2.1 million in 2021, and rashes in babies and children increased to 2.7 million in 2022 from 2.4 million the previous year.

The 10 most viewed pages about medical conditions in 2022 were:-

►  Coronavirus (16.3 million)

►  Long Covid (4.3 million)

►  High Blood Pressure (3.8 million)

►  Chickenpox (3.7 million)

►  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (3.5 million)

►  Fever in children (3.4 million)

►  Scarlet Fever (3 million)

►  Diarrhoea and vomiting (2.9 million)

►  Tonsillitis (2.8 million)

►  Rashes on babies and children (2.7 million)

Joe Risk, NHS Digital's head of delivery for the NHS website, said:- "Millions of people used the NHS website in 2022 for the latest Covid information or to book a vaccination, as well as for advice on topics ranging from High Blood Pressure to diarrhoea and vomiting. Providing access to the latest medical advice and making it as easy as possible for people to access is our top priority, to ensure we continue to support and improve health across the country."

The NHS website, which is managed by NHS Digital, is the UK's biggest health website with an estimated 2.6 million visits a day in 2022 from people seeking information and advice. It includes over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990 medical conditions. The most popular page on the NHS website in 2022 was the Covid19 vaccination booking page, with 60 million visits. Other health services available on the website include applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card for healthcare cover abroad, finding a GP, and a BMI healthy weight calculator.

81% would drive to Hospital as trust in Ambulance Service is eroded

A staggering 81% of UK drivers would now choose to take the car to accident and emergency, rather than calling an ambulance. This is according to new research that has been released by used car buying service ChooseMyCar.com. The shocking statistic was part of a larger study into driver behaviour, and shows how Brits no longer feel the Ambulance Service is reliable or safe. These results are likely to rise even further due to the biggest ever ambulance strikes, planned on 6 February 2023.

The split between the sexes was fairly even, with 80% of men saying they would prefer to take the car, compared to 83% of women. The results were also very similar between the age groups, with 82% of 18 to 34 years old, 82% of 35-54 year olds, and 80% of the over 55s preferring cars over ambulances.

Geographically, the results varied a little more widely, but the overwhelming majority all agreed that they wouldn't be trusting an ambulance to get them to Hospital. In Wales, 91% of people stated they would choose the car over the ambulance service; the highest percentage in the UK. Other interesting geographical variations include:-

Cardiff was the City with the lowest confidence, with 92% choosing not to call an Ambulance.

Birmingham, Nottingham, and Southampton are the English cities with the lowest confidence in Ambulances, with 86% choosing to take the car over calling 999.

Close behind is Liverpool and Norwich, with 85%.

The City with the most confidence in ambulances was Bristol, but even there 65% of people said they would prefer to drive than call an ambulance.

Surprisingly, even in London where many don't drive, 81% said they would take the car over calling an Ambulance.

Founder of ChooseMyCar.com, Nick Zapolski, said that the statistics prove just how far people's trust has fallen in NHS Ambulances. "It's not really surprising, but it's sad that the British public don't feel they can rely on the emergency services. Our statistics show that the vast majority of UK people would use the car over calling 999. However, that in itself is problematic, with Hospital parking limited and with people piling up in Hospital corridors waiting to be seen. We'd urge people to still consider calling an ambulance and not to drive themselves to the Hospital if it's unsafe to do so."