People in hospital with flu QUADRUPLES in a month to thousands as amber health warning issued

New NHS data reveals that flu cases have continued to surge over the Christmas and New Year period, with over 5,000 patients in hospital because of the illness at the end of last week.

The figures show an average of 4,469 patients with flu in hospital each day during the week ending December 29 – almost 3.5 times higher than the same week last year, including 211 a day in critical care.

On Christmas Day, there were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu, a number which sharply rose by nearly a quarter just days later, to 5,074 by Sunday 29 December. This means that hospitalised flu cases have quadrupled within a month, from 1,190 on November 29.

Health officials warn of serious pressure on the NHS into 2025, with amber cold health alerts for England issued by UKHSA as temperatures are set to drop below freezing in the coming days. Hospitals continue to face huge demand from a slew of viruses, with an average of 723 patients with norovirus in hospital in the week ending 22 December, and 528 patients each day last week.

Although this has decreased, it remains 40% higher than the 378 patients during the same week last year.

There was also an average of 74 children with RSV in hospital every day last week, up nearly half on 50 for the same period in 2023, as well as an average of 1,184 beds occupied by patients with Covid. The national vaccination booking system has now closed, but those eligible can still get protected by visiting a COVID-19 walk-in vaccination site or finding a pharmacy offering the flu vaccine.

Norovirus has also been hitting the NHS
(Image: Getty Images)

The NHS says it introduced several initiatives, such as improved 24-hour coordination centres, assistance for frequent A&E visitors, enhanced same-day emergency care, and expanded community care to meet the high pressure. The health service also said it opened 1,301 more beds in the last week compared to the same time the previous year (101,309 vs 100,008).

Meanwhile, there was an average daily increase of 648 occupied beds this year compared to last (90,200 vs 89,552).

Before Christmas, the NHS was urgently trying to discharge patients who no longer required medical care in hospital, with 15,094 patients leaving on Christmas Eve, a rise of over 40% from the week’s average of 10,495 discharges.

But more data indicates serious strain on urgent and emergency services, with ambulance crews handing over 98,118 patients to hospitals last week, and NHS 111 dealing with 465,442 calls.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, commented on the ongoing challenges: “These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year, skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.”

According to Dr Gregory: “On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year, with hospitals putting in place an extra 1,300 beds last week than the same time last year in expectation of this continued pressure from viruses and other demand.

“With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions so if you are at risk, do try and keep warm and make sure you are stocked up on any regular medication.

“Please continue to use NHS 111 and 111 online if you need advice and support for health conditions, and only use 999 or attend A&E in life-threatening emergencies.”

Now, the north west’s senior health leader has urged the public to use services wisely as 111 phone services, GP practices and A&E departments see high numbers of people contacting them following the festive period.

Dr Michael Gregory, the NHS England North West Regional Medical Director recommends the public tries www.111.nhs.uk to get urgent health advice if they have access to the internet.

The online service works the same as the 111 phone service and is already popular with people who want quick advice about the best options for getting the care they need, says the health leader. These can include getting a call back from a trained clinician or nurse, booking them an appointment in A&E, or providing advice.

Dr Gregory said: “The period immediately after Christmas and New Year is an extremely busy time for our 111 health advisors and clinicians, staff working in GP practices and our doctors and nurses and other health professionals working in our A&Es.

“We were expecting it to be busy but we know that callers are waiting longer to get through on the phone, and visits to A&Es are waiting longer than we would like.

“For this reason, we’d recommend using the online service if you can. You answer the same questions and receive the same advice as calling 111, but it’s likely to be quicker.”

NHS 111 online is not available for under 5s. People looking for urgent medical help for under 5s should use the 111 phone line.

Dr Gregory added: “We are extremely grateful to the dedicated teams across the NHS in the north west who are working tirelessly to ensure all those that need care receive it and it is vital the public are aware of the pressure the health service will be under and know the best way to access care during this time.

“In the event of a life or limb threatening emergency people should always continue to call 999 or attend A&E, but for non-emergency health needs the public should make www.111.nhs.uk their first port of call.