Festive gatherings may have led to ‘bounce back’ in winter viruses

Christmas and new year gatherings may have caused a “bounce back” in winter viruses, with the number of people in hospital with flu up slightly, according to NHS England.

People in hospital beds with flu in England averaged 2,924 each day during the week ending January 4, up 9% from 2,676 the previous week.

The figure had previously been on a downwards trend, after reaching 3,140 in the week ending December 14.

The latest round of NHS data also shows there has been a sharp increase in the proportion of patients experiencing long waits in ambulances outside hospitals in England before being handed over to A&E teams.

Some 33% of patients arriving by ambulance at hospitals last week waited at least 30 minutes to be handed over.

This is up from 18% the previous week and is the highest figure so far this winter.

The week did include New Year’s Eve, which is one of the busiest nights of the year for ambulance crews.

Some 12% of ambulance handovers last week, or 11,805 patients, were delayed by more than an hour, up from 4% the previous week and also the highest level so far this winter.

Overall, bed occupancy in England’s hospitals was up 5% on the previous week at just under 92%.

NHS national medical director Professor Meghana Pandit said: “It’s clear that the worst is far from over for the NHS this winter, with hospitals again experiencing a rise in patients admitted with flu and other respiratory virus cases last week.

“The cold weather also means we are also seeing more vulnerable patients with respiratory problems in A&E and more injuries from slips and falls due to the icy conditions, so it remains an extremely busy time.

“Staff continue to work incredibly hard and we are seeing teams across the country pulling out all the stops to ensure patients get the care they need.

“It remains important that people come forward for care as usual and there are still plenty of opportunities to get vaccinated and get protected against flu.”

Analysis by the Press Association shows the number of flu patients in hospitals is rising fastest in southern and eastern England while other areas of the country have seen either a much smaller jump or no change week on week.

The largest percentage increase is in south-west England, where 252 flu patients were in hospital last week, up 36% from 185 the previous week.

South-east England has seen a 24% jump, up from 290 patients to 360, while in eastern England the number of patients has risen by 17%, from 338 to 396.

There have been smaller percentage increases in north-west England (up 8% from 253 patients to 274) and the Midlands (up 6% from 564 to 597), while in north-east England and Yorkshire the figure is broadly unchanged, up 0.2% from 628 to 629.

In London the figure is also largely unchanged, down 0.8% week on week from 419 patients to 416.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “Today’s data shows we are not out of the woods yet.

“While the NHS is better prepared and performing more strongly than this time last year thanks to the tireless work of staff, the current cold snap is putting fresh pressure on frontline services.

“Flu can be serious, particularly for older people, young children and those with underlying conditions, and vaccination remains the best protection. I urge everyone who is eligible to get their flu jab as soon as possible.

“By acting now, we can help keep people out of hospital, support our NHS staff through the toughest weeks of winter, and ensure emergency care is there for those who need it most.”

The latest NHS situation report also shows an average of 361 hospital beds were filled each day last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms.

This is up 27% from the previous week’s average of 284 patients, but below the recent peak of 427 patients in mid-December.

Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, said: “Flu levels are again on the rise and this, coupled with increasing bed occupancy and delayed discharges, shows that there is still a long way to go before this difficult winter is over.

“Other seasonal viruses such as norovirus and Covid are also increasing alongside staff sickness levels.

“Despite these pressures, NHS leaders and frontline staff are working incredibly hard to manage demand and keep patients safe.

“But the current cold snap that is bringing freezing temperatures, snow and ice to many parts of the UK comes as we enter what is traditionally the busiest weeks of the year for the NHS.

“So we are concerned that we will see pressures continue to mount over the coming weeks and this will be a very difficult winter for the health service.”