England's hospitals are grappling with a record number of flu patients for this time of year, with health officials warning the NHS is bracing for an "unprecedented wave" of infections this winter.
Record-Breaking Hospital Admissions
According to the first NHS winter situation report of the season, an average of 1,717 flu patients were occupying hospital beds each day last week. This figure includes 69 patients in critical care. The data reveals a stark and rapid increase, with current levels 56% higher than the same week in 2024, when 1,098 patients were recorded.
The scale of the surge becomes even clearer when compared to previous years. The current total dwarfs the numbers seen in early December 2023 (243 patients) and 2022 (772 patients). Last winter, flu admissions peaked at 5,408 patients in early January, which was the highest weekly figure since the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Perfect Storm of Pressure
Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national medical director for urgent and emergency care, stated that flu cases are now "incredibly high" and the figures confirm the health service is preparing for a severe flu wave. He highlighted the dual challenge facing the NHS: "ballooning flu cases coinciding with strikes may stretch our staff close to breaking point."
Resident doctors in England are scheduled to begin a five-day strike from December 17th, following action taken in November. Rory Deighton of the NHS Confederation noted the flu season has hit "much earlier and much harder", piling pressure onto services after a busy summer.
Urgent Call for Vaccination and Wider NHS Strain
With the flu season starting earlier than usual and yet to reach its peak, officials are urging eligible people to get vaccinated. Professor Redhead emphasised the urgency, stating there are only a couple of weeks left to ensure maximum immunity by Christmas Day. Flu jabs are available for a wide range of groups including everyone over 65, pregnant women, frontline health workers, and children.
The weekly report also detailed pressures on ambulance services. Last week, 30% of patients arriving by ambulance waited at least 30 minutes to be handed over to A&E teams. While this is an improvement on the 36% recorded at this point in 2024, it remains higher than in 2023 (27%). Some 9,580 patients faced handover delays of over an hour.
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King's Fund, said the data confirms the NHS is entering its most challenging period, with pressures "hitting from all directions." In a small piece of positive news, the report indicated that hospital admissions for norovirus and Covid-19 are currently lower than in previous winters.
