NHS England data shows flu bed occupancy has already surpassed last year’s peak ‘as children finish school and friends and families congregate’
The “tidal wave of flu” is continuing with Christmas party season in full swing as hospitalisations due to the virus jumped 41% last week.
NHS England data shows flu bed occupancy has already surpassed last year’s peak and suggests infections are four times higher than the same time last year. An average of 2,629 flu patients were in beds in England each day last week, and 125 of these were in a critical condition. This is up 41% from a total of 1,861 patients the previous week, when 66 were in critical care beds.
The week before had seen a 70% rise in flu hospitalisations when NHS England’s top doctor Sir Stephen Powis warned they were facing a “tidal wave of flu”.
Prof Powis said: “As children finish school and friends and families congregate over the Christmas period we expect viruses to continue to spread so if you haven’t got your flu jab and are eligible please come forward, and the public should think twice about seeing loved ones if they are seriously unwell.”
The latest NHS winter update shows one in 18 hospital beds in England are being taken up or closed by a festive bug. The data suggests sickness bug norovirus and coughs and cold bug respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also circulating at high levels. There were 711 beds taken up by norovirus patients last week, almost a quarter more than last year, and 127 children in hospital with RSV each day last week, also up a quartet on last year.
Saffron Cordery, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts, said: “There’s been no let-up for NHS trusts as flu and other nasty winter bugs, including norovirus and RSV continue to take their toll. The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better with viruses expected to spread further as schools close for Christmas and festive gatherings get into full swing.”
NHS England has warned it faces a “quad-demic” of flu, norovirus, RSV and rising Covid-19 cases. From Friday the NHS online booking system for vaccinations is closed but anyone eligible can still still visit a Covid-19 walk-in vaccination site or find a pharmacy offering the flu vaccine.
Prof Powis added: “The NHS has been hit hard with an early festive flu season, putting increased pressure on staff as they prepare for the long winter ahead of us. As the busy winter continues, I am incredibly grateful to those staff working to keep patients safe and provide them with the best possible care and I would remind anyone who needs medical support to continue to use 999 and A&E in an emergency and for everything else, use NHS 111 or 111 online.”
The NHS situation report also shows that 34.5% of patients arriving by ambulance at hospitals in England last week waited at least 30 minutes to be handed over to A&E teams. This is down slightly from 35.8% in the previous week, but higher than the equivalent week in 2023, when the proportion stood at 33.1%. Some 14.3% of ambulance handovers last week, or 13,100 patients, were delayed by more than an hour, down from 16.3% the previous week and very slightly higher than this point in 2023 (14.2%).
Patricia Marquis, executive director for the Royal College of Nursing in England, said: “As people prepare for the festivities, nursing staff are battling to hold the service together and are deeply concerned about what the coming weeks will deliver. Right across the NHS beds are full, A&E is facing increasing pressures, while the growing number of flu cases threatens to overwhelm an NHS and workforce already in crisis.
“The situation is made even worse by the strains in social and community care. Lack of care available close to home means more patients are forced to use A&E or are stuck in hospital beds when they are ready to return home.”
Lib Dem health spokesperson Helen Morgan MP said: “This winter crisis looks set to be one of the most difficult on record and ultimately it is patients who will suffer.”