NHS bed occupancy beyond safe levels ahead of Christmas
‘This doesn’t bode well for the coming weeks when temperatures are likely to drop and flu levels increase,’ says King’s Fund analyst
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Hospital wards across the country are having to look after an unsafe number of patients, with hundreds of beds closed due to an outbreak of norovirus.
NHS England has said that on average almost 900 beds were closed each day during the week to Sunday 15 December.
Hospitals have reported fewer empty beds with bed-occupancy rates reaching as high as 95 per cent, 10 per cent higher than the recommended safe level.
As a result, fewer beds are available for sudden surges in demand or major incidents.
Meanwhile, the number of people arriving at A&E by ambulance is high, with almost 2,500 more people than in 2018, an increase of 2.6 per cent.
In total, 24 emergency departments were so busy that they temporarily closed to new admissions from ambulances.
The surge in demand comes as figures from Public Health England show cases of flu are continuing to rise higher than predicted levels, with more people in hospital than at the start of the month.
Siva Anandaciva, chief analyst at the King’s Fund think tank, said: "Despite a relatively mild start to the winter, the health service is running red-hot, with around 95 per cent of hospital beds occupied, well above the recommended safe level.
“This doesn’t bode well for the coming weeks when temperatures are likely to drop and flu levels increase.
“The government has promised more money for the NHS, but a credible plan to increase the workforce is also urgently needed. Even then, it will take time to stabilise services and patients will unfortunately continue to wait longer to receive the care that they need.”
A spokesperson for NHS England said: “Hospitals now have more beds open than this time last year, but flu and norovirus have kicked in a bit earlier so are adding pressure at a time when the NHS is already looking after significantly more people than ever before.
“The NHS has already looked after a million more people in A&E this year compared to last, and as we head into the holiday period it’s really important that the public help our hardworking staff by getting their flu vaccine now, using the free NHS 111 phone and online service for urgent medical needs, seeing their local pharmacist for minor ailments and ensuring they are stocked up on the medication they need.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments