The NHS is bracing for what officials are calling a “quad-demic” of winter viruses, driven by a dramatic rise in flu cases and compounded by surges in other seasonal illnesses. According to reports, more than 1,000 patients were hospitalized last week with influenza, which is a sharp increase from just 243 during the same period last year. This marks the highest flu-related hospital admissions for this time of year since NHS England began publishing the data in 2021.
Hospitals are under immense strain, with over 96,500 patients in beds last week, leaving only about five percent of capacity free, as per reports. Ambulance delays are worsening, with a record number of vehicles—32,635—waiting more than 30 minutes to hand over patients to hospital staff. NHS bosses attribute part of the delays to the “knock-on effects of Storm Bert,” which recently battered parts of the UK.
Staff sickness is compounding the pressure, with 10 percent more NHS employees off sick compared to this time last year. Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, described the situation as deeply concerning. “Winter is always tough for the NHS, and services are already feeling the strain from a worrying spike in nasty winter bugs and bad weather,” she said, warning that conditions are likely to worsen in the coming weeks.
The data highlights a surge in cases of not just flu, but also norovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and Covid-19. Last week, hospitals reported 1,390 Covid patients, 142 children admitted with RSV, and 756 norovirus cases—a staggering 86 percent increase from last year. NHS leaders are urging the public to get vaccinated against flu and Covid to reduce the burden on the healthcare system.
Prof Sir Stephen Powis, the NHS national medical director, noted the escalating pressures. “The NHS is busier than it has ever been before heading into winter, with flu and norovirus numbers in hospital rising sharply. For a while there have been warnings of a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu, and RSV this winter, but with rising cases of norovirus this could fast become a ‘quad-demic.’” He emphasized the importance of vaccinations, urging those eligible to “follow the lead of millions of others and come forward and get protected as soon as possible.”
Ambulance services are also struggling to meet demand, with delays affecting emergency care. Analysis shows that 36.1 percent of the 94,566 ambulances arriving at emergency departments last week faced handover delays of more than 30 minutes, a proportion only surpassed in December last year.
The early surge in winter illnesses is further straining an already overstretched health system. Rory Deighton, acute network director at the NHS Confederation, expressed alarm at the numbers. “These figures are deeply worrying, as they provide yet more evidence the NHS is already under considerable strain before the pressures of winter have peaked,” he said.
While the government has pledged additional funding, opposition leaders have criticized the state of the NHS. Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged the challenges but defended the government’s response. “We inherited an NHS that is broken but not beaten, and staff are already working hard to tackle an increase in admissions this winter,” he said, pointing to an extra £26 billion allocated in the recent Budget. Streeting also promised long-term reforms under a 10-Year Health Plan to prevent future winter crises.
As the NHS faces mounting challenges, officials are urging the public to take precautions and seek vaccinations, hoping to mitigate what is shaping up to be one of the most difficult winters in recent memory.
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