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NHS chiefs have warned that hospitals are “busier than ever” at this time of year, as new figures show the number of people in hospital with flu is four times higher than the same period last year.
Nurses said there is “hardly an available bed in the NHS” and that staff and patients are “desperately worried” about the coming weeks and months.
Health leaders have warned the service is facing a “quadruple epidemic” of the disease heading into winter amid rising cases of flu, Covid-19, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
On average 1,099 flu the patients were in beds England every day last week, including 39 in critical care – the highest at this point in three years.
Same week 2023 the total was 243with nine in critical care. At this point in 2022, an average of 772 flu patients were hospitalized.
NHS England warned that there was also a record number of patients in hospital beds last week with 96,587 beds occupied each day. Officials have warned that the pressure is expected to increase further in the coming weeks.
The figures come after health officials approved the use of antiviral flu drugs for patients who are at increased risk. According to the December 3 warning, data from the UK’s Health Safety Agency indicated a “significant” increase in flu cases in the community, primarily in care homes.
Hospitals across the country have also warned of a rise in the number of people being admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Sir Stephen Powis urged eligible people to get vaccinated as soon as possible amid growing fears about the health service’s ability to deal with the “quad-demic”.
He said: “For some time there have been warnings of a ‘triple demesis’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter, but with norovirus cases on the rise this could quickly become a ‘quad-demia’, so it is important that if you haven’t had your Covid jab a or the flu to follow the lead of millions of others and come forward and be protected as soon as possible.”
Commenting on the figures, Patricia Marquis, chief executive for England at the Royal College of Nursing, said: “There are hardly any beds available in our NHS, with high flu admissions and thousands stuck in hospital unable to be discharged due to a lack of social care capacity. protect.
“Before the cold weather sets in, medical staff and patients are desperately worried about what the coming weeks and months may bring.”
An average of 751 adult hospital beds in England were filled last week with patients with diarrhea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, compared with 406 this time last year and 318 in 2022.
The total number of beds filled by patients with norovirus symptoms — including children in pediatric wards — averaged 756, up 86 percent from the equivalent week in 2023.
The NHS Situation Report also shows that 36 per cent of patients who arrived by ambulance at hospitals in England last week waited at least 30 minutes to be handed over to emergency teams.
That figure was 27 percent in the equivalent week last year and 31 percent in 2022.
About 16 percent of ambulance handoffs last week, or 14,805 patients, were more than an hour late, compared to 10 percent at this point in 2023 and 15 percent in 2022.
The figures come as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer committed the government to achieving an NHS target of 92 per cent of patients waiting for surgery or procedures within 18 weeks.
said Richard Slogett, program director for think tank Future Health Research The Independent: “The latest NHS figures paint a very challenging picture as we head into winter. A surge in hospital admissions due to flu is raising questions for the government and the NHS about planning and preparing for winter. Flu vaccination rates are essentially flat compared to last year, despite a challenging Australian flu season, which sends a signal for our winter.
“The Government and the NHS urgently need to invest in more campaigns and capacity that can increase vaccination rates and reduce pressure on overstretched hospital services. The government is right to push for prevention as a policy priority – it must now back it up and work harder to get more people vaccinated.”