The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has announced that its crews responded to more than 1,300 incidents linked to seasonal risks during the summer months.

Between June and August, NEAS responded to 929 bike-related incidents, 402 heat-related incidents and 11 water-related incidents.

Together, the three campaign themes generated 1,342 incident records – slightly more than during the same period in 2025 and more than 20% higher than in 2024.

Alun Ross, HART and critical care manager, said: “Summer should be about enjoying time with family and friends, but every year we see people seriously injured or becoming unwell because of risks that are often preventable.

The service responded to more than 1,300 incidents linked to seasonal risks during the summer months.

placeholder image — The service responded to more than 1,300 incidents linked to seasonal risks during the summer months.

“This summer, our crews attended hundreds of incidents involving cyclists, people affected by hot weather and those getting into difficulty around water.

“Behind every call is a person in need of help and in some cases a situation that may have been avoided with a few simple precautions.

“One of the clearest trends we saw was the number of bike-related incidents (cycling, motorbikes, e-bikes and scooters), with crews responding to 340 incidents in July alone, a 25 percent increase compared with the same month last year.

“This highlights why simple measures such as wearing a helmet, being visible and carrying out basic bike safety checks are so important.”

The campaign focused on simple actions people can take to stay safe, avoid preventable harm and reduce the need for emergency care.

These include staying hydrated during hot weather, avoiding the dangers of open water, wearing a helmet when cycling or scooting and checking in on vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbours during periods of hot weather.