The NHS is preparing for its most severe winter crisis in the next two weeks as a 'flu-nami' of cases puts hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulance services under extreme pressure. Record numbers of patients are already being treated for flu, but NHS leaders warn the situation will deteriorate further, urging people to get vaccinated before Christmas gatherings.
Data from NHS England shows an average of 2,660 people per day were hospitalised with flu last week, a 55% increase from the previous week and the highest ever recorded for early December. This includes 106 patients in intensive care, mostly with breathing difficulties. The surge is driven by a drifted H3N2 strain, which is more severe for older adults and has reduced natural immunity in the community.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have criticised the British Medical Association for calling a five-day strike by resident doctors starting next Wednesday, which NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey described as 'cruel' and 'calculated to cause mayhem'. The government has made an improved offer to settle the pay dispute, and the strike may be called off if enough doctors accept it.
Alongside flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid are adding to pressures, with some hospital trusts declaring critical incidents due to overwhelming demand. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) urges unvaccinated people to get the flu jab promptly, noting that vaccine uptake is low among at-risk groups: only 37.4% of under-65s with health conditions, 35.6% of pregnant women, and around 42% of young children have been vaccinated, compared to 71.7% of over-65s.
Experts recommend masking, social distancing, and working from home to reduce flu spread. Professor Shereen Hussein of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine advises checking on older relatives and neighbours and ensuring they are vaccinated. The UKHSA confirms the current flu vaccine is effective at preventing severe disease, despite the early season and drifted strain.
