Four NHS hospital trusts in southeast England have declared a “critical incident” as they struggle to cope with a surge in admissions due to flu and norovirus.
Three trusts in Surrey and one in Kent said the escalations have come after a “surge in complex attendances to A&E departments” driven in part by soaring numbers of patients with winter illnesses.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has warned the NHS is “not out of the woods yet”, as flu cases spiked once again last week, following two weeks where admissions had fallen after high numbers of cases were seen before Christmas.
In a statement on Monday, NHS Surrey Heartlands added the situation had been “exacerbated by increases in flu and norovirus cases and an increase in staff sickness” as well as the impact of the recent cold snap on more frail patients.
The three Surrey trusts affected are Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) also declared a critical incident due to what it called “sustained pressures” at the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate.
It said its hospitals are experiencing “exceptionally high demand, driven by a continued high admission rate and a large number of patients with winter illnesses and respiratory viruses”.
NHS Surrey Heartlands urged patients to ensure they are using services “appropriately” and only attending A&E in an emergency.
“Due to extreme pressures, today hospitals and the ICB in Surrey Heartlands have taken the decision to escalate to a critical incident,” Dr Charlotte Canniff, joint chief medical officer of NHS Surrey Heartlands, said.
“This allows us to take additional steps to maintain safe services for our patients and help us cope with the growing pressures.”
She added: “Making sure you use services appropriately and only attend A&E if you have an emergency is also essential at this time, allowing our emergency departments to focus on those who really need their care.
“Our teams continue to work exceptionally hard and we would like to reassure patients and the public that despite the challenges faced and some changes to non-urgent appointments, essential services remain fully open for anyone who needs them so if you do require urgent medical help, please continue to come forward.”
It comes after data in December suggested the UK could face the worst flu season in decades. In the first week of December 1,717 patients were admitted to hospitals in England with the infection, up 56 per cent on the same week in 2024, according to NHS England.
Figures reached a peak in the first week of December, but have since dropped and are now “slightly better” than expected for this time of year, according to Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund.
She added: “Many NHS staff and leaders have worked around the clock to protect patients as best they can, planning for months in advance, despite the additional disruption caused by industrial action and spikes in flu cases.
“There is no doubt these actions have prevented the system from becoming overwhelmed, with bed occupancy rates standing at 92 per cent for the first week of January – slightly better than we have come to expect for this time of year. But this should not be treated as a sustainable level of pressure and is certainly not one that is providing the best possible outcomes for patients.”
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