NHS warns of flu ‘tidal wave’ hitting hospitals in England

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The NHS in England is warning of a “tidal wave of flu hitting hospitals” after witnessing a 70 per cent increase in patients being hospitalised with the illness over the past week.

Health leaders have previously warned that the strained service is grappling with a “quad-demic” of flu, Covid-19, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus, with figures showing hospital flu cases up 350 per cent compared with last year.

An average of 1,861 patients suffering from the flu were in hospital each day last week, compared with 1,099 in the previous seven day period, according to NHS data published on Thursday. 

The number of flu patients in critical care beds in England increased from 39 to 66 over the same period and the health service is urging those eligible for a jab to get themselves vaccinated to avoid “festive flu”.

UK health secretary Wes Streeting called on the public to get vaccinated “before it’s too late”.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England national medical director, said on Thursday that “the tidal wave of flu cases and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals is really concerning for patients and for the NHS”.

Each day last week across England an average of 837 hospital beds were occupied by patients with norovirus, an increase of 10 per cent on the previous week and up 64 per cent compared with the same period last year, NHS data showed.

Meanwhile, 152 children were hospitalised with RSV, compared with 107 during the same week last year.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last week named as one of his new policy “milestones” the target of ensuring 92 per cent of NHS patients in England wait no more than 18 weeks after referral to begin non-urgent hospital treatment.

The latest data showed just 59 per cent of patients were seen within this timeframe in November.

Danielle Jefferies, a senior analyst at the King’s Fund think-tank, described the situation facing the NHS as it heads into its busiest winter on record as “fraught”.

“Winter pressures impact on all parts of the NHS and social care. How the health service is faring cannot just be measured by what is happening in hospitals — a true assessment must look at the care patients need from community and primary care services,” she said.