Hospital flu cases have already surpassed last year’s peak as festive infections continue to rise.
Recent data shows that one in 20 hospital beds are being taken up or closed by a festive bug, with 2,504 general and acute beds alone being taken up by flu patients. This is an increase of almost 40 per cent from last week (1,795).
Last week, here were a total of 2,629 patients in hospital with flue, 125 of which in critical care beds — up 90 per cent from the week before.
Norovirus and RSV cases are also still high, with almost a quarter more beds than last year being taken up by norovirus patients (711), and 127 children were I hospital each day last week. Again, this figure is quarter more children when compared to the same period last year.
Winter viruses are only expected to get worse over the coming weeks as children finish school and families and friends congregate over Christmas celebrations.
Staff are continuing to protect those more at risk of becoming seriously ill from flu, COVID-19, and RSV this winter, with a total of 28.5 million vaccines delivered since the start of September.
Although you can no longer book a vaccine appointment, you can still visit a COVID-19 walk-in vaccinations site or find a pharmacy offering the flu vaccine to protect yourself and the rest of your community.
The NHS has opened more hospital beds at this time of year than ever before at 102, 464, and NHS also answered one of the highest number of cals for this tine of year last week, at 395, 861 (almost 10,000 more than last year).
The data also shows the achievements of the NHS staff, with 75.7 per cent of 111 calls answered within a minute, and a reduction of time lost to ambulance delays by 136 per cent.
NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “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.
“In response to the flood of flu cases so early in the season, the NHS has been making it as easy as possible for people to get protected with a jab, including vaccination centres in supermarket car parks and football clubs, helping protect almost 29 million people across England – while also opening up more hospital beds.
“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.
“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.”
