The number of patients in hospital with flu has quadrupled in the last month, according to new NHS England data.
There were 5,074 patients with flu in hospital on Sunday 29 December, up from 1,190 at the end of November. The new figures mean flu cases in hospital have quadrupled in a month.
On the week commencing 29 December, there were an average of 4,469 patients with flu in hospital each day – almost 3.5 times higher than the same week last year – including 211 a day in critical care.
The figure is lower than this point two years ago, when it stood at 5,441.
The figures also showed there were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu on Christmas Day, before it rose sharply by almost a quarter to 5,074 by 29 December.
The NHS has warned that the drop in temperature across the UK – which has led to rare health alerts from the UK Health Security Agency – could lead to continued pressure on hospitals.
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Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, said: “These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the new year.
“On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year, with hospitals putting in place an extra 1,300 beds last week than the same time last year in expectation of this continued pressure from viruses and other demand.
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“With what looks like an extreme cold snap expected right across England ahead of the weekend, we know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions so if you are at risk, do try and keep warm and make sure you are stocked up on any regular medication,” professor Redhead added.
“Please continue to use NHS 111 and 111 online if you need advice and support for health conditions, and only use 999 or attend A&E in life-threatening emergencies.”
