Pub bookings for the first hour of England’s World Cup campaign have jumped 293%, according to technology provider Zonal, as fans prepare to pack into venues two hours before kick-off against Croatia in Dallas, Texas, at 9pm on Wednesday. But the health service has issued a stark warning: the surge in celebration could be followed by a surge in casualties.
Analysis of the 2024 Euros by NHS England showed that while A&E visits drop by around 11% in the hour before a game – with an average of 17,000 fewer people attending during matches – the pattern reverses sharply after full-time. Overall visits rise by 4% between 11pm and 7am compared with the average for that time of day, and physical muscle and bone injuries increase by 10%, a figure the NHS says is “consistent with falls and assaults”.
“Pub bookings for England's World Cup opener surge 293% as NHS warns A&E visits jump after matches.”
“We hope fans enjoy the tournament but not in a way that turns into an unnecessary trip to A&E,” said Emma Rowland, emergency care director at NHS England. “Even the most die-hard supporter needs to ensure they put their health first and seek emergency treatment when they need it.”
The warning comes as hospitals brace for a “triple whammy” of a heatwave, a doctors’ strike and the World Cup fixture – though the British Medical Association cancelled the strike on Sunday, leaving only the heat and football to contend with. The reprieve arrives after A&E departments endured their busiest ever month in May, with nearly 2.5 million patients. Figures for the first time revealed that nearly 3,000 people per day are treated in corridors or other overflow areas, a practice Dr Ian Higginson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, described as “a national scandal”.