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.
Hospitals run out of oxygen and mortuaries full amid NHS chaos
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.”
A Government spokesperson said: "We have been clear the volume of sewage discharged into our waters is completely unacceptable and water companies need to clean up their act fast.
"We are already taking tough action to hold them to account, including demanding record levels of fast-tracked investment, ensuring a 100% monitoring of storm overflows, a quadrupling of water company inspections, and are currently consulting on a ban on water bosses' bonuses, when criminal breaches have occurred.
"This is in addition to the stringent targets in place for water companies to reduce sewage spills - frontloading action at designated bathing waters to make the biggest difference to these sites as quickly as possible."
Full list of surging water-borne diseases
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
