The NHS in England is facing severe pressure due to an early surge in flu cases, with more than 2,500 patients requiring hospital treatment last week. The number of critically ill patients in intensive care has nearly doubled to 125, according to NHS England data released on Thursday.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, described the situation as a "flood of flu cases so early in the season" and warned that family gatherings over Christmas could exacerbate the spread. He urged those eligible for the flu vaccine to get jabbed and advised the seriously ill to reconsider visiting loved ones.
The winter sitreps data show nearly 5,000 hospital beds were occupied or closed due to a "quad-demic" of flu, Covid-19, norovirus, and RSV. Flu accounted for 2,629 beds, followed by Covid-19 (1,274), norovirus (711), and RSV (127).
Hospitals in Hampshire declared a critical incident on Monday after running out of capacity, with A&E units overwhelmed by high demand and infectious patients requiring isolation. Bed occupancy was worsened by patients medically fit for discharge but unable to leave.
Nursing leaders and health trusts expressed deep concern. Patricia Marquis, executive director of the Royal College of Nursing in England, said staff are "battling to hold the service together" and fear the coming weeks will bring further strain. Rory Deighton of the NHS Confederation noted that winter viruses are having a significant impact on hospital capacity.
Ambulance services are also under strain, with 34.5% of patients waiting at least 30 minutes for handover to A&E last week, and 14.3% waiting over an hour. Senior analyst Danielle Jefferies of the King's Fund predicted a tough winter for the NHS, with long ambulance delays affecting emergency response times.
