Multiple hospitals have declared critical incidents due to high volumes of patients being admitted with flu and other respiratory illnesses.
It comes as there were 5,408 patients in hospital with flu on average each day last week, according to the latest NHS performance data. This is the second highest level since the pandemic.
There were also 742 adult beds closed due to patients in hospital with diarrhoea and vomiting, or norovirus-like symptoms, up from 666 the week before.
Over 53,000 members of staff were absent per day on average last week due to sickness or self-isolation.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said he was ‘distressed and ashamed’ for patients while speaking to radio station LBC about the situation on Tuesday.
Mr Streeting said: ‘I feel genuinely distressed and ashamed, actually, of some of the things that patients are experiencing, and I know that the staff of the NHS and social care services feel the same. They go to work, they slog their guts out, and it’s very distressing for them seeing people in this condition as well.’
He added that there would be an urgent and emergency care reform plan published ‘shortly’ and that he was already working on what needs to improve for next year.
Hospitals and systems that have declared critical incidents this week include:
- The Royal Liverpool University Hospital,
- Northamptonshire ICB, with pressures seen mostly at Kettering General Hospital, Northampton General Hospital and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS),
- Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust which runs Basingstoke and Winchester hospitals,
- Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, which runs Royal Cornwall Hospital,
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust which runs Derriford Hospital, Devon.
Northamptonshire ICB said it was taking additional steps to maintain safe services for patients, including opening up additional beds and ‘enlisting the support’ of partners.
‘This has been one of the most challenging winters we have ever experienced in the NHS, and we have taken this step today to ensure we can continue to deliver a safe level of care to our local population, while we work together to resolve it,’ said Dr Naomi Caldwell, deputy chief medical officer at NHS Northamptonshire ICB.
Hampshire and the Isle of Wight ICB said Hampshire Hospitals had declared a critical incident due to ‘sustained pressures’, and said organisations across the system were working together to ensure people get the best possible care.
Dr Lara Alloway, chief medical officer at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said: ‘We are seeing very high numbers of people needing hospital care and this does mean that some people may have to wait longer than we would like to access some services.’
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB said its critical incident had now ended in the area, but pressures remained.
Dr Chris Reid, chief medical officer for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB said: ‘The system critical incident has now been stood down, but health services remain busy and I would urge people to continue to consider the range of options available to support them if needed. This includes our network of minor injury units, the urgent treatment centre at West Cornwall Hospital, their local pharmacist, GP practices or NHS111 online.
‘I also want to thank our patients and their families for their patience and understanding with our frontline staff when facing longer waits than we would want and for their support in helping people to be discharged.’
He added that health and care staff had continued to ‘work tirelessly’ throughout the incident.
Devon ICB confirmed that as of today, none of its trusts are in critical incident, however it said the status was ‘constantly changing’.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust has also reinstated face mask wearing across all its hospitals from 7 January due to high levels of respiratory infections.
Responding to the latest NHS performance data, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: ‘These figures show that the intense pressure on the NHS is continuing to grow, despite health leaders and their teams working hard to care for patients in very difficult circumstances.
‘Flu levels in hospitals have risen to their second-highest level since the pandemic. This, combined with other winter viruses and staff sickness, is making what we knew would be a challenging winter even more difficult. In some places we know hospitals have had to declare critical incidents in order to manage rising demand and the increased acuity of patients.
‘With the country gripped by a cold snap and experts predicting flu levels will peak in the next week or two, we are concerned that this will continue to pile more pressure onto already over-stretched services. The pressures are being felt across all parts of the system, from hospitals to GP practices and other parts of primary care.’
