The number of hospital beds in England occupied by patients with flu has increased by 70% in a week, NHS England said, as it warned of a “tidal wave of flu hitting hospitals”.
Health leaders said that people eligible for their free flu jab should get vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid “festive flu”.
An average of 1,861 flu patients were in hospitals in England each day last week, including 66 in critical care beds, NHS figures show. This is up from 1,099 patients the previous week, when 39 were in critical care. It is also more than four times the figure at this point last year.
NHS England said cases of norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) were also on the rise.
Last week, health bosses warned hospitals were facing a “quad-demic” of disease over the winter months, with cases of flu, norovirus, RSV and Covid-19 all forecast to rise. On Thursday, there were warnings of a “tidal wave”.
Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director for NHS England, said on Thursday: “The tidal wave of flu cases and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals is really concerning for patients and for the NHS – the figures are adding to our ‘quad-demic’ worries.
“While the NHS has plans in place to manage additional demand over the busy winter period, with one week left to book your vaccine, I cannot stress enough the importance of getting booked in to protect yourself against serious illness and to avoid ‘festive flu’.”
An average of 837 hospital beds in England were filled each day last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, up from 756 the previous week.
There were an average of 152 children with RSV in hospital wards in England last week, up from 142 the previous week and higher than at this point in 2023 when the figure was 107.
The number of hospital beds occupied each day by patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 averaged 1,343, down slightly week-on-week from 1,390.