The number of people in hospital with flu has more than quadrupled compared to last year, new figures reveal, as NHS leaders warn of a mounting “quad-demic” crisis, driven by rising cases of flu, Covid-19, norovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Health experts have sounded the alarm as the service is under unprecedented pressure, with hospitals struggling to cope with a record number of patients at this time of year.
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New data shows an average of 96,587 hospital beds in England were occupied daily last week, the highest number recorded for this time of year. This means that nearly 95% of hospital beds are full, intensifying fears that the system will buckle under the weight of rising cases. An average of 1,099 flu patients were hospitalized each day last week, including 39 in critical care, a sharp increase from last year’s figures of 243 hospitalizations with nine in critical care.
Health leaders had already raised concerns over a potential “tripledemic” of flu, Covid-19, and RSV, but the recent surge in norovirus cases, which have jumped 86% compared to the same week last year, has prompted NHS officials to brace for a full-blown “quad-demic.”
The NHS is also grappling with delays in ambulance handovers, with more than a third of patients arriving by ambulance last week waiting over 30 minutes to be transferred to A&E.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, warned that the situation will worsen as winter progresses, with the flu and norovirus numbers continuing to rise sharply. He urged those eligible for a free flu or Covid jab to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help reduce the pressure on the health service. “The NHS is busier than it has ever been before, and we are still only at the start of December,” he said.
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Meanwhile, Patricia Marquis, executive director for England at the Royal College of Nursing, said there is “barely a spare bed” in the NHS, and thousands of patients are unable to be discharged due to a lack of capacity in social care. “Staff and patients are desperately worried about what the coming weeks and months may bring,” she added.
The latest figures also show that 7.57 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of September, with 249,343 people waiting more than a year for routine hospital treatment.
This backlog, combined with surging admissions, has raised concerns about the NHS’s ability to meet key waiting time targets set out in the Government’s “plan for change,” which aims to have 92% of patients seen within 18 weeks for pre-planned care by July 2029.
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While Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressed optimism about the Government’s long-term vision for the NHS, health commentators have called for a “healthy dose of realism,” highlighting the challenges posed by increased patient demand, workforce shortages, and a decade of underinvestment in the system.