The NHS is going into winter under more pressure than ever, with a 350% increase in flu cases in hospital compared to the same week last year, according to NHS figures.
New weekly figures, published today, found that there have been an average of 1,099 people in hospital with flu every day last week, compared to 243 in the same week last year. This is the highest figure for at least three years, NHS England added.
There has also been an 86% increase in the number of norovirus cases in hospital over the same period.
According to NHS data last month, staff have delivered 1,047,208 RSV vaccinations in just over two months, with the service ramping up efforts to avoid a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter.
More than 27 million vaccinations have now been delivered for Covid, flu and RSV since the rollout began in September.
Pressure on ambulance services is also high, with thousands more patients arriving via ambulance (up from 83,873 to 90,514), and 35,022 hours lost to handover delays, up 87% from 18,703 this time last year.
There were also 413,426 calls to NHS 111 last week – with 73.1% answered within a minute, up 4.4% up on last year.
NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: ‘The NHS is busier than it has ever been before heading into winter, with flu and norovirus numbers in hospital rising sharply – and we are still only at the start of December, so we expect pressure to increase and there is a long winter ahead of us.
‘For a while there have been warnings of a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter, but with rising cases of norovirus this could fast become a ‘quad-demic’ so it’s important that if you haven’t had your covid or flu jab to follow the lead of millions of others and come forward and get protected as soon as possible.’
He added: ‘Ambulances are also facing huge demand, with thousands of extra patients and other pressures having an impact on handover delays, which is why our robust plans, including services like urgent treatment centres and same day emergency care are so important this winter.’
Health secretary Wes Streeting said:‘We inherited an NHS that is broken but not beaten, and staff are already working hard to tackle an increase in admissions this winter.
‘We’re backing them with an extra £26billion secured in the recent Budget and we’ve already resolved the industrial action to ensure A&Es will be strike-free for the first time in three years.
‘For too long, an annual winter crisis has become the norm. We will deliver long term reforms through our 10 Year Health Plan that will create a health service that will be there for all of us all year round.’
