Brits feeling under the weather are being advised to think twice before heading to overcrowded A&E clinics, with a stark warning to stay home unless they face life-threatening conditions. The health service is grappling with a surge in sickness this winter, as health chiefs caution of a potential “tidal wave of flu”.
The recent weeks have seen a spike in various illnesses, and there’s concern that some hospitals will be overwhelmed by the demand. This comes on the heels of earlier cautions about a “quademic” of diseases, including flu, Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and norovirus.
On Wednesday, East Surrey Hospital was forced to declare a critical incident due to a “sharp rise in winter viruses”. NHS leaders are urging the public to avoid A&E unless absolutely necessary, highlighting that “services are under significant pressure”.
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Ed Cetti, Chief Medical Officer at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, has issued a statement: “Due to high levels of demand and a sharp increase in winter viruses which is impacting staffing levels and how we move patients around our site, our services are under significant pressure.”
He continued, “Our staff are working around the clock to minimise disruption to those already on our wards, treat all patients coming into our Emergency Department, and continue to discharge patients who no longer require acute care to ensure we have available beds for those who need admission, but please only attend East Surrey Hospital in a life-threatening emergency.”, reports the Mirror.
The primary illnesses that have been reported are norovirus and flu, both of which share symptoms like vomiting and muscle ache. Norovirus is known for causing severe sickness and diarrhoea, but typically clears up in about two days.
On the other hand, flu affects the lungs and can last for up to two weeks, with symptoms including fatigue, a dry cough, and a sore throat. The flu is particularly concerning for high-risk patients, prompting officials to continue urging vulnerable groups to get vaccinated.