Surge in flu patients causes strain on the NHS

The latest data released by health authorities emphasises the mounting pressure on the National Health Service (NHS), with hospitals nationwide flooded with three times more flu patients than last year

England’s top doctor warms that the relentless pressure on NHS hospitals shows no signs of slowing. With over 3,000 more patients filling hospital beds each day last week compared to the period in 2023, the system is stretched to its limits.

Bed occupancy within hospitals

Despite efforts to support growing capacity, including adding over 2,700 beds since last year, bed occupancy rates have risen to 94.6% for general beds.

This represents a significant increase from the previous year’s occupancy rate of 93.8%, indicating the severity of the current situation.

Increase in flu patients

The biggest problem is the flu wards, where hospitals struggle with an unprecedented influx of patients. Last week saw an average of 2,390 flu patients admitted daily, an increase from last year when the number stood at 737.

Aswell as the flu, hospitals are dealing with 565 cases of norovirus and 3,232 patients battling Covid-19 daily.

The staffing crisis worsens the situation, with an average of 48,482 healthcare workers absent each day last week. 1,513 absences were due to Covid-19-related reasons, further straining an already stretched workforce.

Challenges faced by NHS hospitals

The challenge hospitals face is the issue of delayed discharges, with over 13,000 beds occupied each day by patients who are medically fit for discharge but remain in hospital due to delays in transitioning them to alternative care settings such as social or community care.

The NHS had anticipated the heightened demand this winter and implemented various measures to manage this, including providing additional beds, strengthening ambulance services, and deploying innovative solutions like care traffic control centres and virtual wards.

Despite these efforts, the strain on the system is continual. Ambulance handovers to hospitals increased by 17%, with 91,225 transfers recorded last week alone. The NHS 111 helpline witnessed an 11% surge in calls, with call handlers fielding 376,597 inquiries.

The current situation underlines the urgent need for sustained investment and support to ensure the resilience of the healthcare system in the face of future challenges.