Hospitals in England are “close to full” – with a significant number of beds occupied by patients who are well enough to be discharged, NHS officials have warned.
The pressure comes as medics deal with a sharp rise in people suffering from the winter vomiting bug norovirus.
NHS England said that 96% of adult beds were filled, with 98,101 patients in hospital, every day last week on average – the highest this winter so far.
Some 961 beds were occupied each day on average by people experiencing symptoms of the stomach bug, which include vomiting and diarrhoea.
The figure was up 7% from the week before and 69% higher than the same time last year.
Amy Douglas, an epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency, said norovirus cases were “way above what we would usually see at this time of year and outbreaks in hospitals continue to rise”.
She urged members of the public with symptoms to stay at home, and to especially avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing the infection on.
The recovery period for the bug is typically around two days and patients can usually care for themselves at home.
However, those with weakened immune systems – including young children and the elderly – risk more serious, and prolonged, symptoms.
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Ms Douglas added: “Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either. This is because you can still pass on the virus in the days after you stop being sick.”
Latest NHS England figures, published on Thursday, also revealed that an average of 13,776 beds per day last week were occupied by those who were well enough to be discharged, which was also a record high for the season.
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Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said the rate of norovirus cases was at the highest level recorded for this time of year since 2020.
He added: “The twin pressures of winter viruses and problems discharging patients means hospitals are close to full – even as more beds have been opened to manage the increased demand.”
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However, the NHS figures also revealed that flu rates had dropped for the fourth week in a row.
Last week, there was an average of 2,461 flu patients staying in hospital each day, including 122 receiving critical care.
