The recent arrival of the ‘Beast from the East’ might have covered much of the UK in beautiful Lapland-esque scenes but, despite the fun and snowball fights, the icy conditions led to a sharp rise in accidents and injuries.

In even the most urban areas, schools were closed, offices shut and supermarket shelves emptied as ‘snow days’ gripped the nation. But the icy conditions in some parts of the country caused the number of people suffering from falls to spike, with London Ambulance Service reporting a 13% rise in slips and trips in the last week of February, compared to the previous week. In addition, GP mobile app Now Patient, for people living with chronic care conditions, witnessed a 400% hike in use due to the severe weather.

Although the recent Arctic conditions were extreme, hospital admissions due to falls traditionally increase during heavy snow and ice, with older people particularly prone to falling. According to safety campaigners RoSPA, there were 2,919 admissions to hospital in 2014/15 as a result of people falling over on snow or ice. Thankfully, in many cases, injuries are minor, but there can sometimes be longer term repercussions, particularly with neck and back injuries, which can result in prolonged spells off work.

If you do suffer a bad injury after a fall - whatever the weather! - it’s advisable to record as many details as possible, particularly if you see your GP or go to hospital. Income protection insurance can be invaluable if you’re unable to work due to an injury, such as those incurred as a result of bad weather. According to the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), a quarter of workers in the UK could afford to pay their bills for only three months if they had an accident or long-term illness, perhaps leaving them relying on financial help from family or on sickness benefits - which often don’t match average salaries.

Whilst the UK has now thawed following the Beast’s departure and spring seems to be in the air, it’s a good time to start thinking about how you’d cope following an accident in the future. With ActiveQuote.com, you can compare a range of accident and sickness insurance quotes and find the right cover for your personal circumstances and budget.