The NHS is facing a “quad-demic” of health emergencies as winter approaches, with hospitals “busier than ever” for this time of year, the health service’s most experienced doctor has said.
The number of people in hospital with flu has more than quadrupled compared to last year, while the number of cases of Covid, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also increasing.
Professor Stephen Powis, the national medical director of the NHS, said he feared admissions would rise further unless the public took action to protect themselves with flu, Covid and RSV jabs. RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds and can lead to bronchiolitis or pneumonia, especially in young children and the elderly.
His warning came as the number of people in hospitals with flu in England rose to more than four times the number last year.
An average of 1,099 flu patients were in bed every day in England last week, with 39 of them in intensive care, according to the first of this year’s NHS winter situation reports.
This is up sharply from comparable figures for the same week in 2023, when the total was 243, nine of which were in intensive care. It is also higher than this point in 2022, when there were an average of 772 flu patients.
Powis said with the long winter months ahead, there are concerns about unprecedented pressure on the healthcare system.
“There have been warnings for some time about a ‘triple epidemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter,” he said. “But with rising cases of norovirus this could quickly become a ‘quad-demic’ so it’s important that if you haven’t had your Covid or flu jab that you follow the example of millions of others and come forward and do so quickly may be protected,” he said.
“The NHS is busier than ever before heading into winter, with flu and norovirus rates in hospitals rising sharply – and we’re only early December, so we expect pressure to increase and a long winter ahead. lies ahead for us.
“Ambulances are also facing huge demand, with thousands of extra patients and other pressures impacting on transfer delays. That’s why our robust plans, including services like urgent treatment centers and same-day emergency care, are so important this winter.”
His message was echoed by England’s chief medical officer, Prof. Chris Whitty, who posted a graph on X showing the increase in flu cases compared to the previous year.
The flu is now increasing rapidly. Antiviral flu medications can now be used in primary care.
If you are eligible, get vaccinated.
For healthcare workers, vaccination helps protect you, your patients and colleagues.https://t.co/eo5MFz6Hvs pic.twitter.com/F00W1nI6oh
— Professor Chris Whitty (@CMO_England) December 3, 2024
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The flu is now increasing rapidly. Antiviral flu medications can now be used in primary care.
If you are eligible, get vaccinated.
For healthcare workers, vaccination helps protect you, your patients and colleagues.https://t.co/eo5MFz6Hvs pic.twitter.com/F00W1nI6oh
— Professor Chris Whitty (@CMO_England) December 3, 2024
The figures in the winter situation report show that an average of 751 adult hospital beds were filled in England last week by patients with diarrhea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, compared to 406 at this point last year and 318 in 2022.
The total number of beds filled by patients with norovirus symptoms, including children in pediatric wards, averaged 756, an increase of 86% compared to the same week in 2023.
Last week there were an average of 1,390 patients in hospital beds in England every day who had tested positive for Covid. This is down from the average of 2,344 patients at the same point last year, and 4,969 at this stage in 2022.
“As always, the public has an important role to play in helping NHS staff over the winter by, as always, calling 999 in an emergency and using the NHS 111 service via the NHS app, online or by telephone, for advice on how to access the right support for non-urgent healthcare needs,” said Prof Powis.
The NHS situation report also shows that 36% of patients arriving by ambulance at hospitals in England last week waited at least 30 minutes to be transferred to emergency teams, up from 27% in the same week last year and 31% at this point in 2014. 2022.
Sixteen percent of ambulance transfers last week, or 14,805 patients, were delayed by more than an hour, compared to 10% at this point in 2023 and 15% in 2022.
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, said an annual NHS winter crisis has become “the norm” and this must change. “We have inherited an NHS that is broken but not defeated, and staff are already working hard to tackle the rise in admissions this winter,” he said.
“For too long, an annual winter crisis has become the norm. We will implement long-term reforms through our 10-year healthcare plan, creating a healthcare service that will be available to all of us all year round.
“I would also encourage everyone who is eligible to join the more than 27 million people who have already signed up for their flu, RSV and Covid jabs – it’s the best way to protect yourself this winter protect.”