Christmas and New Year gatherings, combined with a severe cold snap, appear to have driven a rebound in winter illnesses, the NHS has reported.
The number of people in hospital with flu rose by 9% in the latest week to 2,924, after two weeks of decline. Daily averages of patients in hospital with norovirus and Covid also increased, and overall bed occupancy climbed 5% from the previous week to just under 92%.
Ambulance activity was higher than last year: there were 101,177 ambulance handovers last week, more than 5,100 above the same week a year earlier. That total includes New Year’s Eve, traditionally one of the busiest nights for crews. The average ambulance handover time was 37 minutes 44 seconds — over 16 minutes quicker than the same week last year, though slightly slower than the week before.
Vaccination delivery continues: the NHS has administered more than 18.6 million flu jabs this season, more than half a million up on the same point last year. Thousands of appointments remain available, and next week the NHS will send reminders to parents of children with certain health conditions to arrange their child’s flu vaccination at their GP practice.
NHS national medical director Professor Meghana Pandit said the situation shows the “worst is far from over” for the health service this winter. She warned that the cold weather is bringing more vulnerable patients with respiratory problems into A&E and causing more slip-and-fall injuries on icy surfaces. She praised staff effort and urged people to seek care as normal and to take up vaccination opportunities.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the data show the NHS is not yet out of the woods. He noted the service is better prepared and performing more strongly than last year thanks to staff, but that the cold snap is adding fresh pressure. He urged everyone eligible to get their flu jab to help keep people out of hospital and support emergency services through the toughest weeks of winter.
