A leading doctor at Watford General Hospital's children's emergency unit says he is seeing an increase in children coming in with fever.

It comes as expert warn A&E departments across the country are being flooded with children with often mild fevers, creating a "winter in June" for the NHS.

As lockdown eases, more children are mixing and coming into contact with viruses that are usually seen in the winter months.

These include a range of respiratory infections, bronchiolitis, paraflu and rhinovirus, all of which produce symptoms of cough, runny nose and fever.

Three royal colleges have joined forces to issue new guidance for parents worried about fevers, after seeing a large rise in the numbers seeking emergency help for conditions that are not Covid.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said the conditions are usually mild, but it has heard from paediatric emergency medicine doctors around the country describing pressures on their departments from an increase in children being brought in by anxious parents.

It said many parents have not seen fever in their child – particularly if they were born during lockdown – and are taking them to A&E rather than seeking help at pharmacies, their GP, NHS 111 or online.

Dr Richard Burridge, consultant paediatrician and lead for the children’s emergency department at Watford General, said: "We’re seeing three times the number of children with fevers for early June than in

2020 – which was lower because of Covid – and twice the number of children we saw in June 2019, significantly higher than we’ve ever seen before in the children’s emergency department."

One emergency paediatrician described the situation in the country as "winter in June", with data from four hospitals showing May attendances for those aged 15 and under rose from 15,954 in 2018 to 23,661 this year.

Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the RCPCH, said: "Many emergency departments are currently overwhelmed and there has been a particularly steep rise in the number of young children presenting.

"Some have seen the highest ever numbers of children in their department and waiting times can be huge. The biggest increase we’re seeing is in children with mild fever. Fevers are very common in young children and usually aren’t serious.

"But many parents haven’t seen fever in their child before and are worried, particularly if they don’t have their usual sources of support to turn to, such as parent groups."

Those who are concerned about fever in their child should call their GP practice or 111 outside of normal hours, or seek advice from a pharmacist.

The RCPCH say that, for most children, treatment with children’s paracetamol or ibuprofen (but not both at the same time) is usually enough to reduce the fever and the child will start to feel better after a few days.

Parents should also ensure children stay hydrated by drinking clear fluids like water or squash.

The colleges stress that parents should always seek medical advice or take the child to A&E if the fever lasts for more than five days, if the child is under three months old and has a temperature of 38C (101F) or higher or if the baby is three to six months old and has a temperature of 39C (102F) or higher.

Other reasons to seek medical advice could be if the child is not drinking well or is dehydrated, or if a child develops a red rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it, has a fit or is crying constantly and cannot be consoled or distracted.If the cry does not sound normal (such as high pitched), advice should also be sought.