The number of people admitted to hospital with flu in England has quadrupled in a month, as health leaders said “huge” pressure in the NHS will only get worse as temperatures plummet this weekend.
Figures from NHS England show that there were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu on Christmas Day, rising sharply to 5,074 by Sunday 29 December.
There were an average of 4,469 flu patients in hospital every day last week, including 211 in critical care.
This was up 17% from 3,818 the previous week, when 184 were in critical care, and was more than four times the number on 1 December, when the figure was 1,098. However, the figure was lower than this point in 2022, when it stood at 5,441.
Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the public “should be under no illusions” that the NHS was now in “a position of national vulnerability” amid “intense” pressure.
“These winter stats bear out what local NHS leaders have been telling us directly in recent days – that the NHS is facing huge demand, from sicker patients, with very high levels of flu to deal with,” he said.
“The next two to three weeks will likely be the busiest period of the year for many local services and we need to acknowledge the strain that this will place on staff and services.”
Adam Brimelow, of NHS Providers, said: “These figures show services coming under relentless pressure and it looks like things will get worse before they get better. This week’s cold snap is likely to add to already huge demand for NHS services.”
The data also showed an average of 528 hospital beds in England were filled each day last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, down from 723 the previous week but higher than the equivalent figure at this point last winter (377) and two years ago (338).
There was also an average of 74 children with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in hospital wards in England last week, down from 87 the previous week but higher than at this point a year ago (50).
The number of hospital beds occupied each day by patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 averaged 1,184, down week-on-week from 1,277.
Prof Julian Redhead, the NHS’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said the figures “show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the new year” and cases were “rising at a very concerning rate”.
He added: “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.
“With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions so if you are at risk, do try and keep warm and make sure you are stocked up on any regular medication.
“Please continue to use NHS 111 and 111 online if you need advice and support for health conditions, and only use 999 or attend A&E in life-threatening emergencies.”
On Friday evening health bosses in Cornwall declared a critical incident as hospitals faced “significant pressure”.
The Royal Cornwall hospital in Truro was experiencing long ambulance queues outside and high patient numbers in its emergency department, with many people medically fit for discharge but awaiting the right care, the NHS said.
