NHS faces ‘double epidemic’ as flu admissions soar and staff hit by Covid

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, urged those eligible to get vaccinated for the flu and the Covid and not to be “complacent” in the face of the risk of serious illness.

He said: “Unfortunately these latest flu figures show that our fears of a ‘double epidemic’ have come true, with cases rising sevenfold in just one month and the continued impact of Covid hitting staff hard, with linked absences up nearly 50% at the end of November.

“In addition to the flu, the NHS continues to be under significant pressure, with high bed occupancy, over 12,000 beds occupied by discharged medically fit patients, and demand for 111 service remains high. So please make the most of the 111 line and only call 999 or visit A&E in an emergency.

“Clearly now is not the time to be complacent and the risk of serious illness is very real. It is important that all eligible people come forward and receive their Covid and flu shots as soon as possible. »

It comes after hospitals and ambulance services reported critical incidents in a context of sustained pressure during the holiday season. Devon hospitals have told patients to ‘think very carefully’ before going to A&E, urging them to use NHS 111 as their first point of contact.

Darryn Allcorn, NHS Devon’s chief nurse, said there was a ‘worrying increase’ in flu, Covid and norovirus cases in the area, urging hospital patients to ‘minimize your contact’ and “if you can tolerate it, wear a face mask when moving around the environment”.

NHS bosses in Manchester have urged patients to only call 999 or visit A&E in a ‘life-threatening’ emergency following increased pressure over Christmas.

Latest NHS data shows there are even fewer flu patients in the hospital than those with Covid.

On December 25, 8,979 beds were occupied by Covid patients, and as of December 28, Covid occupancy stood at 9,459. The figures are largely unchanged from 2021, when 7,166 patients were hospitalized with Covid on Christmas Day and 9,546 on December 28. However, last year hospitals were not coping with the simultaneous increase in flu admissions.