Hospitals across England are grappling with an unprecedented flu season, as the number of patients admitted with the virus reaches record levels for this time of year.
NHS figures show an average of 1,700 flu patients were in hospital last week, more than 50% higher than the same period last year, with early indications suggesting the numbers are continuing to rise sharply.
The flu season has started a month earlier than usual, and experts warn a more severe strain of the virus appears to be in circulation. England’s chief medical officer, Sir Chris Whitty, has stressed that illnesses such as flu and pneumonia in older people must be taken far more seriously if lives are to be saved.
At the same time, NHS leaders are urging the public to avoid overwhelming A&E departments with minor ailments. New data shows that more than 200,000 people turned up at A&E between November and February last winter with issues such as nasal congestion, earache, sore throats, ingrowing toenails, itching skin and even hiccups—conditions that could have been managed by GPs, pharmacists, NHS 111 or at home.
These attendances accounted for over 2% of all A&E visits during that four-month period and placed further strain on already overstretched emergency services.
Research suggests that difficulties accessing GP services are a major factor driving unnecessary A&E visits, with more than one in five patients unable to get through to their practice on the day they seek help.
NHS England’s urgent and emergency care director, Prof Julian Redhead, warned that the combination of soaring flu cases and upcoming doctor strikes is creating intense pressure across the health service. Junior doctors, represented by the British Medical Association, are due to begin a five-day walkout from 17 December as part of their ongoing pay dispute. Prof Redhead said the current figures confirm the service’s “deepest concerns,” adding that flu cases are “incredibly high for this time of year” and that staff could be pushed “close to breaking point” in the weeks ahead.
Nearly 2% of hospital beds are now occupied by flu patients, the highest proportion at this stage of winter since records began in 2010.
At an NHS England board meeting, chief executive Sir Jim Mackey highlighted that hospitalisations were rising rapidly and warned that by next week the number of beds occupied by flu patients could reach between 5,000 and 8,000. This would surpass the previous record of 5,400. He described the timing of the forthcoming strikes as cruel and calculated,suggesting they were aimed at causing disruption during one of the NHS’s most challenging periods.
However, some frontline clinicians argue that focusing on minor A&E attendances distracts from deeper issues. Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, criticised the narrative as a smokescreen, pointing instead to nearly half a million patients who have already waited more than 12 hours in A&E this year.
She said such extreme delays deny patients privacy and dignity, and are not caused by minor ailments but by long-standing failures in capacity, patient flow and workforce planning.
Read also: Bird Flu outbreak in UK could be most infectious yet, expert warns
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