England’s NHS is bracing for a potential crisis this winter as an unusually early and sharp rise in flu cases strains hospital capacity. Over 2,500 patients needed hospital treatment for flu last week, more than double the previous week, while those requiring intensive care shot up from 66 to 125 in the same period.
NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis warned that the service has been “hit hard with an early festive flu season, putting increased pressure on staff.” He cautioned that as families gather for Christmas, “we expect viruses to continue to spread.” Anyone who hasn’t gotten a flu jab is urged to do so immediately.
Hospitals Nearing Capacity
The surge in flu, combined with continued Covid-19 cases, norovirus, and RSV is pushing hospitals to the brink. Almost 5,000 hospital beds were unavailable last week due to this “quad-demic” of winter illnesses. Some hospitals, like those in the Hampshire system, have already declared critical incidents – effectively stating they have no more room for patients.
Right across the NHS beds are full, A&E is facing increasing pressures, while the growing number of flu cases threatens to overwhelm an NHS and workforce already in crisis.
Patricia Marquis, Royal College of Nursing
Staff Illness Another Challenge
On top of the patient influx, the NHS is grappling with high rates of staff illness. Powis noted viruses are impacting “the ability of staff to work”. Hospitals are being forced to close beds and wards to control outbreaks, further reducing capacity in an already stretched system.
Fears of Post-Holiday Spike
Health leaders fear that family Christmas gatherings, while a cherished tradition, will cause flu and other viruses to spread even more rapidly. Children, often “super-spreaders”, will soon be out of school and interacting with vulnerable grandparents and relatives. The NHS is asking those feeling unwell to “think twice about seeing loved ones” this holiday.
Winter illnesses such as norovirus and flu have arrived earlier than last year. It looks like it’s going to be a tough winter for the NHS, and especially for patients.
Danielle Jefferies, The King’s Fund
Jab Campaign Critical
With no immediate end in sight, the flu vaccination campaign is more critical than ever. The NHS is urging everyone eligible, particularly the vulnerable and children, to get immunized. Increased uptake could ease pressure on hospitals and save lives. But with the holiday approaching, time is of the essence.
As nursing director Patricia Marquis put it, exhausted NHS staff are “battling to hold the service together” while “deeply concerned about what the coming weeks will deliver.” Only a concerted effort from the public, getting jabbed and minimizing viral spread, can prevent this flu surge from overwhelming England’s hospitals at their busiest time of year.
