Hospital admissions for flu quadruple in month in England as NHS bosses warn of ‘huge’ strain
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Cold snap expected to add to pressure as NHS England figures show 5,074 flu patients in hospital by 29 December. 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. “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.”.
