The number of people in hospital with flu in England has more than quadrupled compared with last year, while cases of Covid, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are also on the rise.
Prof Stephen Powis, the national medical director of the NHS, said he feared the number of admissions would increase 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 particularly in young children and the elderly.
His warning came as the number of people in hospital in England with flu rose to more than four times the figure at this point last year.
According to the first of this year's NHS winter situation reports, an average of 1,099 flu patients were in beds in England each day last week, including 39 in critical care.
This is up sharply on the equivalent numbers for the same week in 2023, when the total was 243 with nine in critical 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 to come, there are concerns about unprecedented pressure on health services.
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