NHS chief urges people 'not to eat whole Easter egg in one go'

People should limit their intake of Easter eggs this weekend to slash the risk of falling ill while GP surgeries are closed, the NHS has warned.

Dr Andrew Kelso, an NHS medical director, urged the public to avoid scoffing whole Easter eggs in one go and to cut back on cakes and biscuits.

Writing on an NHS blog, he said Britons should do ‘all they can to look after themselves’ when practices are shut from Good Friday to Easter Monday.

And he warned the the additional sugar and calories people consume when celebrating with friends and family ‘doesn’t do our bodies any good’.

Dr Kelso, who has been labelled a ‘killjoy’ by critics, said ‘many people don’t realise’ that an average Easter egg contains around three-quarters of an adult’s recommended daily calorie intake.

And he said ‘at a time like this’ - when the NHS has seen significant increases in obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay - he would ‘urge people to enjoy their Easter eggs in moderation’.

Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: ‘This infantilising advice from a killjoy NHS mandarin wouldn’t grate quite so much if it wasn’t part of a broader warning to the public telling us not to get our hopes up about receiving healthcare over the bank holiday weekend.

‘The real advice is to get ill between Monday to Friday during working hours and not on bank holidays.

‘I doubt there will be many people waiting 12 hours in A&E this weekend with an Easter egg-related injury.

‘NHS bosses should take a break from hectoring the public and let us enjoy Easter.’