Barely a spare bed in NHS, warn nurses as flu crisis hits

NHS leaders have warned hospitals are "busier than ever" for this time of year, as new figures show the number of people in hospital with flu is four times higher than in the same period last year.

- REBECCA THOMAS

Nurses have said there is “barely a spare bed in the NHS” and that staff and patients are “desperately worried” about the coming weeks and months.

Health leaders have warned that the service is facing a “quaddemic” of disease going into winter amid rising cases of flu, Covid-19, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). An average of 1,099 flu patients were in beds in England each day last week, including 39 in critical care – the highest recorded at this time for three years.

On the same week in 2023 the total was 243, with nine in critical care. At this point in 2022 an average of 772 flu patients were in hospital. NHS England has warned there were also record numbers of patients in hospital beds last week with 96,587 beds occupied each day. Officials warned pressure is expected to increase further in the coming weeks.