Hospital chaos is ‘not letting up’ as wards face three times as many flu patients as last year amid ‘eternal winter’

HOSPITAL chaos is “not letting up”, doctors warn as wards face three times as many flu patients as last year.

NHS data shows 2,390 people were in hospital beds with the virus each day last week, compared to 737 in the same week last year.

In total, 97,934 people were in hospital beds, up 3,372 from the previous seven days, with 13,776 so-called “bed-blockers” medically fit for discharge but unable to leave.

Dr Tim Cooksley, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said: “The NHS finds itself in an eternal winter. 

“The pressures throughout the system are perfectly and bleakly illustrated in urgent and emergency care where patients experience appalling conditions and prolonged waits. 

“The extra cases of flu have meant many hospitals have fallen into critical incidents. This is the new normal.”

The total number of flu patients last week is down by 4 per cent from 2,478 the previous week, which was the highest figure so far this winter.

But it is still up 82 per cent since the start of January.

Flu infections this year have surged at a later point than last winter, when cases peaked at Christmas and then fell rapidly.

Last year’s outbreak saw hospital numbers top 5,000, in what was the worst flu season in the UK for a decade.

This year’s outbreak has yet to see figures reach a similar level.

Norovirus levels are broadly unchanged, with an average of 561 adult hospital beds filled last week by people with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms.

This compares with 568 the previous week, a very slight fall of 1 per cent, and is down from a peak of 688 beds a fortnight earlier.

An average of 3,232 people who had tested positive for Covid were in hospital last week, down 10 per cent from 3,599 the previous week.

Covid-19 patient numbers peaked at more than 9,000 last winter.

It is clear that the significant pressure the NHS has been experiencing this winter is not letting up

Professor Sir Stephen PowisNHS England

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, of NHS England, said: “It is clear that the significant pressure the NHS has been experiencing this winter is not letting up.

“Thousands more beds are being occupied and there are three times as many flu patients as last year, on top of continued high demand for ambulance services and NHS 111.

“There is no doubt staff are continuing to face one of their busiest winters ever.”

Sir Julian Hartley, of NHS Providers, said: “Winter pressures on the NHS show no sign of easing again this week with bugs continuing to put the health service under huge strain.

“Delayed discharges remain stubbornly high, with hospitals seeing beds taken up every day by patients who are fit to be recovering at or close to home but can’t be discharged.

“The knock-on effects of this continue to be felt throughout the health and care system.”

He added: “Hospital trust leaders are also having to prepare for another round of highly disruptive strike action by junior doctors in just over a week.”

The British Medical Association has announced that junior doctors in England will take strike action from 7am on February 24 to 11.59pm on February 28.

It will be the tenth walkout by junior doctors in a long-running dispute over pay.

GP appointments

It comes as separate NHS figures show nearly 2million more GP appointments were made in December than in 2019.

More than 25.7million appointments were delivered by GP practices in December 2023, an increase of 9 per cent compared to pre-pandemic.

Dr Amanda Doyle, of NHS England, said: “This is incredible progress and we are determined to make it easier to access services around people’s busy lives.”

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, of the Royal College of GPs, said: “These latest figures show GPs and their teams continue to work harder than ever, under highly difficult circumstances, to ensure their patients receive the vital care and services they need.

“It is clear that intense workloads are now the new normal and that without immediate action to alleviate the pressures on primary care, the future of the profession – and the care we’re able to deliver to patients – is uncertain.”