Winter viruses rising again as cold snap places ‘fresh strain’ on NHS

Winter viruses are on the rise again following Christmas and New Year social gatherings and a sharp cold snap across the country is placing additional pressures on the health service, NHS England has warned.

New figures published today show the number of patients in hospital with flu increased by 9% over the past week to 2,924, reversing a two-week decline.

Hospital admissions linked to norovirus and Covid have also risen slightly across England, with 413 patients with norovirus and 672 with Covid in hospital beds as of Sunday 4 January.

Meanwhile overall bed occupancy has increased by 5% over the last week, to just under 92%.

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The NHS has now delivered more than 18.6 million flu vaccinations this season, over half a million more than at the same point last year, with thousands of appointments still available.

From next week, reminders will be sent to parents of children with certain health conditions, encouraging them to book flu jabs through their local GP practices.

Ambulance services also remain under strain, said NHS England, with more than 101,000 handovers last week – 5,100 more than during the same week last year. The figures include New Year’s Eve, which is traditionally one of the busiest nights for ambulance crews.

Flu rising again

NHS national medical director Professor Meghana Pandit said the service was entering another challenging phase.

‘It’s clear that the worst is far from over for the NHS this winter, with hospitals again seeing a rise in flu and other respiratory virus admissions,’ she said.

‘The cold weather is also leading to more vulnerable patients attending A&E with breathing problems, as well as an increase in injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

‘Staff are working incredibly hard, and teams across the country are pulling out all the stops to ensure patients receive the care they need.’

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Government encourages vaccination

Health and social care secretary Wes Streeting said the latest data showed the NHS was still under significant pressure.

‘While the NHS is better prepared and performing more strongly than this time last year, the current cold snap is placing fresh strain on frontline services,’ he said.

‘Flu can be serious, especially for older people, young children and those with underlying conditions.

‘Vaccination remains the best protection, and I urge everyone who is eligible to get their flu jab as soon as possible.’

Today, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have extended the duration of the current amber cold-health alert by 24 hours. All regions of England will remain under an amber alert until 12pm on Monday 12 January.

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At the end of last year, England’s chief nursing officer issued an ‘urgent SOS’ appeal to those eligible for a flu vaccination to get their appointment booked in before the worst of the flu season.

And the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) issued an urgent plea to the government to invest in both the profession and hospital beds – including by supporting community services and social care – responding to an ‘unprecedented wave of super flu’.