‘Full to the brim’ UK hospitals working ‘flat out’ as flu season reaches peak

Hospital wards within the UK are “full to the brim” and struggling to cope with peak flu season, a prime NHS boss has worringly claimed.

With the nation nonetheless battling Coronavirus, in addition to different outbreaks similar to measles and norovirus, a staggering rise in hospitalisations has been reported.

New NHS figures present that round 1,582 individuals have been in a hospital mattress day by day within the seven days as much as and together with January 21. This additionally included 65 individuals in essential situation, with round 19 in each 20 beds across the nation occupied.

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And NHS stats present that 14,436 remained in hospital every day on common. This is alleged to be larger than any week throughout the earlier winter, whereas the quantity with norovirus additionally stays excessive, with a mean 438 every day final week.

Strangely, the information of excessive hospitalisations and the battle to manage was buried in a press launch about 5,000 new “extra core” hospital beds being made obtainable – which implies everlasting, staffed beds for NHS workers to work with.

NHS Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard warned: “The NHS needed to grow its capacity – with more than 19 in 20 adult beds occupied last week, as staff deal with increased demand, fuelled by rising numbers of flu admissions.

“We know NHS staff are working tirelessly to deliver the best possible care under real pressure. And by boosting capacity alongside other key steps in the recovery plan, we have seen improved waiting times for patients, which were better every month in 2023 than the year before. Category 2 ambulance response times were also an average of 47 minutes faster in December 2023 than in December 2022.

“But we know there is still further to go, which is why we will continue to expand these measures in the coming months.”

And in a single remaining statistic, 90,115 individuals have been taken to hospital by ambulance final week – a 16% rise on final yr.

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