Alarm as skyrocketing flu cases add to NHS strains

Flu cases are skyrocketing, causing immense problems for hospitals, NHS England bosses are warning.

Last week the fig of patients successful infirmary successful England with the microorganism topped 5,400 a time connected mean – astir 1,000 higher than a week before.

NHS England's Prof Julian Redhead said cases were going up astatine a "concerning rate" with hospitals "bursting with patients".

He said this was causing delays successful A&E and for ambulances arsenic unit struggled to header with the demands being placed connected them.

It comes arsenic astir 20 NHS trusts person been forced to state captious incidents due to the fact that of the pressures they are facing.

Prof Redhead, NHS England's nationalist manager for exigency care, said the "skyrocketing" flu cases came connected apical of continued unit being caused by different viruses, including Covid and the vomiting bug Norovirus.

He apologised for the problems being seen, saying unit were frustrated with the prime of attraction being provided nether specified pressures.

"I'm truly arrogant of the mode my colleagues person responded to the pressure...but cipher wants to spot delays successful the ambulances going retired and the delays successful patients getting to beds that they need. No 1 volition beryllium arrogant of that strategy which is occurring."

The fig of patients with flu is much than 3 times higher than they were this clip past twelvemonth – and are present connected par with what was seen successful aboriginal 2023 – 1 of the worst flu seasons for galore years.

Along with the atrocious upwind and flooding, it has meant the NHS has had a "brutal" commencement to the caller year, according to Saffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, which represents wellness managers.

And she added: "We're not retired of the woods yet. Things are apt to get worse earlier they get better.

"Stresses and strains connected exigency services are a immense interest with galore patients facing agelong waits for ambulances and successful A&Es."

Liz Shearer is conscionable 1 of galore radical who person shared their experiences with the BBC of the attraction being provided.

Her aged parent spent much than 30 hours successful a corridor connected a infirmary trolley past week due to the fact that determination were nary bays available. She was taken to infirmary aft collapsing astatine her attraction home.

"I've ne'er experienced thing similar that successful my life. It was similar a Victorian workhouse. The nurses were saying however atrocious it is, and they were saying they conscionable had to ace connected with it."

Yvonne Wolstenholme spent 13 hours successful A&E aft she was sent determination by her GP due to the fact that she was struggling to breathe.

"It was perfectly heaving," she said. "Staff are snowed under, they truly are rushing astir similar headless chickens and it's not due to the fact that of a deficiency of skill, it's the deficiency of clip to spot idiosyncratic patients.

"While I was there, determination were astatine slightest 8 ambulance crews waiting to manus implicit patients and evidently they are not retired connected the streets if they are determination waiting."

Official figures released connected Thursday showed conscionable however overmuch the exigency attraction strategy was struggling.

• The mean ambulance effect clip for instantly life-threatening class 1 calls, specified arsenic cardiac arrests, was 8 mins 40 seconds successful December. The people is 7 minutes
• For class 2 calls, which includes bosom attacks and strokes, it was 47 mins 26 seconds. The people is 18 minutes
• Just 71% of patients visiting A&E were seen and treated oregon admitted wrong the people clip of 4 hours

But determination was much affirmative quality connected regular treatment, with the infirmary waiting database falling to 7.48 cardinal astatine the extremity of November – down from 7.54 cardinal the period earlier and beneath the record-high of 7.77 cardinal successful September 2023.

Similar pressures are being experienced successful different parts of the UK with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each missing their cardinal targets.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine successful Scotland said this week hosptials determination were "gridlocked" and successful the mediate of their ain wintertime crisis.

Dr Tim Cooksley, of of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the NHS was experiencing an "appalling" wintertime crisis.

"The world for patients and unit is corridors afloat of patients experiencing degrading care, being treated successful the backs of ambulances due to the fact that determination is simply nary abstraction successful infirmary and the immense carnal and affectional harm that inevitably results.

"The cardinal contented is that determination is simply a continued deficiency of capableness passim the twelvemonth - a pugnacious flu play indispensable not beryllium utilized arsenic a governmental excuse for the existent situation."