Hospital admissions for water-borne diseases have rocketed under the Tories as pressure mounts on polluting water companies. Cases of diseases such as dysentery and Weil's disease have increased by nearly 60% since 2010, damning research by
Labour shows. Analysis of NHS data reveals the number of people admitted to hospital with diseases transmitted via water-borne infection has increased from 2,085 people in 2010/11 to 3,286 in 2022/23. In the last year alone, 122 people were diagnosed with Leptospirosis (Weil's disease), double the number diagnosed with the same disease in 2010. According to the NHS, one of the primary causes of someone contracting Weil's disease is through polluted water, where infected urine gets in your mouth, eyes or a cut, usually during activities such as kayaking, outdoor swimming or fishing. It comes as data from the Environment Agency last week revealed sewage was discharged for a record 3.6 million hours across
England in 2023. Labour said the hospital figures exposed the “horrific impact” of the Tory sewage crisis that is “destroying our countryside, trashing nature, damaging tourism and putting people’s health at risk”. The party has pledged to put failing water companies under tough special measures to force them to clean up their toxic mess and protect people’s health. It wants water bosses who oversee repeated law-breaking to face criminal charges and for them to have their bonuses banned, as well as for their firms to get severe and automatic fines for illegal sewage discharges. Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “It is sickening that this Conservative Government has turned a blind eye to illegal sewage dumping that has put thousands of people in hospital. “To make matters worse, consumers face higher water bills while water bosses pocket millions in bonuses. Labour will put the water companies under special measures to clean up water. We will strengthen regulation so law-breaking water bosses face criminal charges, and give the regulator new powers to block the payment of any bonuses until water bosses have cleaned up their filth.” Richard Walker, businessman and former Chair of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “The way the Tories have allowed our coasts, rivers, and streams to become engorged with excrement is the perfect metaphor for the way they’ve treated the country these past 14 years. Everyone deserves to enjoy our beautiful coastline and rivers without the fear of getting sick because some fat cat has been shovelling out dividends rather than investing in vital improvements.” Full list of surging water-borne diseases Diagnosis 2010/11 2022/23 A07.1 Giardiasis [lambliasis] 180 206 A06.0 Acute amoebic dysentery 22 29 A01.0 Typhoid fever 445 603 A04.0 Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection 5 53 A04.1 Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection 3 31 A04.2 Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli infection 1 7 A04.3 Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection 24 37 A04.4 Other intestinal Escherichia coli infections 281 497 A27.0 Leptospirosis icterohaemorrhagica 9 5 A27.9 Leptospirosis, unspecified 52 117 A02.0 Salmonella enteritis 754 1299 A02.1 Salmonella septicaemia 106 168 A02.2 Localized salmonella infections 38 33 A02.8 Other specified salmonella infections 26 16 A02.9 Salmonella infection, unspecified 139 167 Total 2,085 3,268 Join our FREE Mirror politics
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