DOCTORS are braced for a surge in burns cases today — as clumsy cooks injure themselves on Pancake Day.
The number of visits to the NHS advice website surge from 3,200 to 5,300 a day on Shrove Tuesday as the kitchen injury toll mounts.
Make sure to take care when you’re flipping your pancakesGetty
Mishaps means that someone looks at the NHS burn advice website every 16 seconds on Pancake DayAlamy
Mishaps while flipping pancakes lead to someone looking at the site once every 16 seconds, data from the past two years shows.
NHS England’s Robert Cleary said: “The NHS website is often the first port of call for anyone seeking health advice.
“This is evident in the spike we see in visits to our burns page on Pancake Day each year.”
About 250,000 people suffer a burn every year in Britain, with nearly 175,000 having to visit A&E for medical treatment.
Just over 16,000 are admitted to hospital for specialist burn care.
If you or a loved one suffer a burn, medics advise running the affected area under cool or lukewarm water for 20 to 30 minutes.
Any clothing or jewellery near the burnt skin should be taken off.
Once the burn has cooled, the skin should be wrapped in cling film or a clean plastic bag.
Painkillers like paracetamol can be taken, but avoid ice packs, creams or butter.