NHS pressures ‘intolerable’ as flu cases quadruple

Nurse leaders have warned that pressures on the workforce have become “increasingly intolerable" as the number of people admitted to hospital with influenza in England has quadrupled in a month.

The latest winter data from NHS England shows that there were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu on Christmas Day, rising sharply to 5,074 by 29 December.

The figures mean flu cases in hospital have more than quadrupled in a month, rising from 1,190 on 29 November.

“Nursing staff know even more challenging conditions are on the horizon"

Patricia Marquis

There was an average of 4,469 patients with flu in hospital each day last week, including 211 a day in critical care.

Meanwhile, hospitals are experiencing pressures from a range of other viruses.

The data showed that, last week, there was an average of 528 patients with norovirus in hospital, while there were an average 1,184 beds occupied by patients with Covid-19 over the same period.

There was also an average of 74 children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in hospital every day last week, up almost half compared with the same period in 2023.

Further figures show ongoing pressure on urgent and emergency services, with a total of 98,118 ambulance handovers to hospitals last week, and 465,442 calls received by NHS 111.

Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: “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.

“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.”

It comes as health officials this week issued an amber cold weather health alert for all regions across England.

The UK Health Security Agency warned that expected low temperatures were likely to result in increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and an increase in health risks for older people and those with pre-existing health conditions.

Responding to the figures, the Royal College of Nursing executive director for England, Patricia Marquis, warned that healthcare services went into the New Year “under pressure and understaffed”.

She said: “The latest figures show soaring numbers of patients with flu being treated in over-stretched hospitals, demonstrating just how fragile the whole system is including community and primary care.

“Nursing staff know even more challenging conditions are on the horizon.

“They are deeply concerned there is no end in sight to patients being treated in corridors and care being compromised.”

Ms Marquis warned that pressures on staff, as well as patients, were “becoming increasingly intolerable”.

“Those on the frontline cannot continue this way,” she said.

“With the NHS under constant stress and social care left waiting for a solution, patients are now at risk all year round.”

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged that the “tidal wave of flu” had put “huge pressures on the NHS”.

“We have been honest from day one that the status quo isn’t good enough,” he explained.

“We are investing in and reforming our NHS, and grasping the nettle of social care reform, to finally break out of the cycle of annual winter crises, because there is no solution to the crisis in the NHS that doesn’t involve a solution to the social care crisis.”

His comments relate to the plans unveiled today by the government to move towards reforming adult social care, including initial steps to creating a National Care Service.