NHS issues firework safety warning following rise in hospital admissions

NHS England has issued a safety warning following data showing an increase in hospital admissions for burns and injuries related to fireworks. In November, admissions in England rose to 85, up from 60 the previous year. Total admissions for 2025 reached 161, compared to 120 during the preceding 12-month period.

The warning follows a serious incident involving 17-year-old Aleks Stasiukiewicz from Hartlepool. In November 2024, Stasiukiewicz attempted to relight a firework that had failed to ignite, resulting in an explosion that caused him to lose his left eye and part of his eyelid. He was treated at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where specialists inserted a prosthesis to replicate natural eye movement.

Professor Frankie Swords, NHS medical director, noted that while Bonfire Night is a time for social gatherings, children often face the most severe consequences when accidents occur.