Flu admissions soar threefold as hospitals fear pressures ahead of strikes

Midlands hospital warns ‘severe and sustained pressure’ over the year worsened this week

Health leaders have raised the alarm over increasing pressures from flu as they prepare for another round of doctors’ strikes in a week’s time.

Flu admissions to hospitals last week were three times higher than a year ago with 2,390 sufferers occupying beds each day.

The total is down slightly by 4% from 2,478 the previous week, which was the highest figure so far this winter, but is still up 82% since the start of January, according to NHS data.

Healthcare leaders are concerned over the increased pressures and hospitals chiefs’ ability to tackle them ahead of an upcoming four-day junior doctor strike next week.

NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “It is clear that the significant pressure the NHS has been experiencing this winter is not letting up, with thousands more beds occupied and three times as many flu patients as last year, on top of continued high demand for ambulance services and NHS 111.”

The number of ambulances taking patients to hospital was up 17 per cent compared to last year, while 13 per cent of ambulances were delayed by more than an hour in handing over patients to hospitals.

Several hospitals this week have launched critical incidents. University Hospitals North Midlands Foundation Trust declared its second in two weeks on Tuesday.

Dr Matthew Lewis medical director at the trust said in the announcement: “We are currently experiencing extremely high demand for all our services. Both Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital in Stafford have been under severe and sustained pressure since the start of the year, but we have seen even greater demands in the last 24 hours.”

NHS England data shows there were 3,372 more patients in hospital last week compared to 2023 with 97,934 beds taken up.

Last week an average of 48,482 staff were off work each day last week, including 1,513 absences each day related to Covid-19.

Responding to the latest winter data from NHS England, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Sir Julian Hartley said: "Winter pressures on the NHS show no sign of easing again this week with bugs, including norovirus, flu and Covid-19, continuing to put the health service under huge strain.

“Alongside grappling with winter pressures, trust leaders and their teams are also having to prepare for another round of highly disruptive strike action by junior doctors in just over a week.

"In the face of these challenges, trust leaders and their teams are doing everything they can to treat patients as quickly and as safely as possible."