NHS bosses have sounded the alarm over a “tidal wave of flu hitting hospitals” after admissions soared by 70% in a week.
The health service is appealing for anyone eligible for a free jab to get vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid “festive flu” and reduce pressure on the ailing NHS.
An average of 1,861 patients with flu were in hospital every day last week, up from 1,099 the previous week and 3.5 times higher than the same time last year.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “The tidal wave of flu cases and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals is really concerning for patients and for the NHS – the figures are adding to our ‘quad-demic’ worries.
“While the NHS has plans in place to manage additional demand over the busy winter period, with one week left to book your vaccine, I cannot stress enough the importance of getting booked in to protect yourself against serious illness and to avoid ‘festive flu.’”
It takes around two weeks for the full benefits of vaccination to kick in, so people are being urged to get jabbed now in time to be protected for family gatherings.
Health officials have coined the term quad-demic to describe the combined impact of flu, COVID-19, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus.
Norovirus and RSV are also on the rise—norovirus cases were up by 10% from last week and almost two-thirds since (64%) last year.
An average of 837 hospital beds in England were filled each day last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, up from 756 the previous week.
And 152 children were in hospital with RSV each day, up by over two-fifths on the same period last year (107 w/e 10 Dec 2023).
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Since the general election, we have been ramping up to delivering the extra two million appointments a year, ending the strikes, and investing more in the health service.
“As a result, the NHS today is delivering a record number of treatments and waiting lists have begun to fall. There’s a long way to go, but through our Plan for Change we will get patients seen on time again.
“With A&Es facing record demand, we are continuing to encourage people to protect themselves, their family, and the NHS by getting vaccinated before it’s too late.”
