Hospital flu cases triple on last year amid ‘mammoth demand’ on wards

UK’s most senior doctor said the ‘mammoth demand’ had come on the back of the busiest year on record for A&E and ambulance teams

The number of flu patients in hospitals in England is more than triple what it was a year ago amid “mammoth demand” on wards.

NHS data published on Thursday showed there were 5,111 flu cases in hospitals on Sunday, up from 5,074 the week before and more than three times the 1,523 figure for the same date last year.

It comes as multiple hospitals have declared or continued critical incidents, the highest NHS alert level, as the surge in respiratory cases overwhelms accident and emergency departments.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “It is clear that hospitals are under exceptional pressure at the start of this new year, with mammoth demand stemming from this ongoing cold weather snap and respiratory viruses like flu – all on the back of 2024 being the busiest year on record for A&E and ambulance teams.

“I never fail to be impressed by the remarkable job that NHS staff across a range of services in the face of current challenges, remaining compassionate, professional and doing everything they can to see patients as quickly as possible while often working in hospitals that are full to bursting.”

Meanwhile, England’s top doctor said this winter has been “similar to the days at the height of the pandemic” in terms of strain on frontline staff.

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The NHS data shows that the number of people requiring hospital treatment for flu began to surge at the end of November, and has now risen weekly for sixth week in a row.

In the week ending 5 January, there were an average of 5,408 patients in hospital each day, including 256 in critical care, up from an average of 4,469 a day the week prior and more than quadruple the average from November.

Last week’s peak was on Friday when 5,657 patients were in hospital with flu - the highest figure this winter. The current numbers show a 168 per cent increase month-on-month.

The weekly numbers, however, remain in line with the 2022/23 winter flu crisis, which averaged 5,281 patients for that same week.

In recent days, hospitals in Northamptonshire, Cornwall, Liverpool, Hampshire, Birmingham, Plymouth and the Wirral have declared critical incidents.

South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident on Wednesday, with a statement on its website saying attendances at Warwick Hospital’s emergency department in the last week “have been consistently some of the highest” ever experienced.

The NHS in Gloucestershire also declared a critical incident, with a live A&E tracker on the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s website warning patients that the average time spent in the emergency department at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital is 13 hours.

And the Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident on Wednesday, with the trust experiencing “unprecedented demand” for urgent and emergency services this week and a “high number” of flu cases, a spokesperson said.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said: “In the past six months, we have ended the junior doctors’ strikes so staff are on the front line not the picket line for the first winter in three years, and introduced the new RSV vaccine. But despite the best efforts of staff, patients are still receiving unacceptable standards of care.

“Although this winter’s campaign vaccinated more people than last winter, this strain of flu has hit hard, putting more than three times as many patients into hospital compared to this time last year.

“Annual winter pressures should not mean an annual winter crisis, which is why this government is making significant investment in the NHS, undertaking fundamental reform, and acting now to improve social care. It will take time to turn the NHS around, but the fact that waiting lists are now falling shows that change is possible.”