NHS is busier than EVER going into winter - with surge of flu and norovirus pointing to the start of a 'quad-demic', health leaders warn
The NHS is busier than it has ever been going into winter, with a surge of flu and norovirus heralding the start of a ‘quad-demic’, health leaders warn.
The numbers in hospital with flu is more than four times higher than this time last year.
And with Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also circulating, nursing representatives say there is ‘barely a spare bed in the NHS’ – leaving staff ‘desperately worried’.
It comes as an average of 96,587 hospital beds in England – around 95 per cent – were occupied each day last week. It is the highest figure on record for this time of year.
Of those in hospital each day, 1,099 were flu patients, including 39 in critical care – compared with 243 this time last year, with nine in critical care.
A busy NHS hospital. The NHS is busier than it has ever been going into winter, with a surge of flu and norovirus heralding the start of a ‘quad-demic’, health leaders warn
A Flu virus. With Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) also circulating, nursing representatives say there is ‘barely a spare bed in the NHS’ – leaving staff ‘desperately worried
Concerns had been raised over a ‘triple-demic’ of flu, RSV and Covid-19. But after an 86 per cent annual rise in norovirus cases in hospitals, the service has been warned to brace for a ‘quad-demic’.
There were around 756 patients in hospital each day last week with norovirus, 1,390 with Covid and 142 children with RSV.
NHS England medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: ‘With rising cases of norovirus, this could fast become a “quad-demic”.’
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