NHS in TATTERS as number of hospital patients rises by 79 per cent due to flu

The NHS has been left in ruins as a result of the number of hospital patients rising by 79 pre cent.

An average of 3,746 people with flu were in hospital across the seven days to December 25, up week on week from 2,088, according to NHS England.

The number was just 772 at the start of the month.

The sharp increase has been across both general hospital and critical care beds – those for the sickest patients.

The average number of critical care patients with flu rose from 149 in the seven days to December 18, to 267 in the week to Christmas Day.

At this point in 2021, just 34 patients were in hospital with flu, with only two in critical care.

Meanwhile, staff absences due to Covid-19 at hospital trusts in England have risen by 47% in a month, from an average of 5,448 a day in the seven days to November 27 to 8,029 last week.

The total number of staff off sick was up 20% from 52,556 at the end of November, to 63,296 a day last week.

NHS Providers’ interim chief executive Saffron Cordery, said: “It’s very worrying to see flu admissions rising so steeply, alongside so many other pressures, contributing to unacceptably high bed occupancy rates which make it much harder to ensure safe high quality care.

“Increased staff sickness is another concern, compounding severe workforce shortages.”