'Jam-packed' hospitals 96% full, doctors warn

VIRUSES have caused "jam-packed" hospitals to reach their highest bed occupancy of the winter, data shows.

- By Hanna Geissler Health Editor

Some 97,636 hospital beds were taken last week - more than at any point so far this winter. It means that around 96% of all adult general and acute hospital beds in England were occupied. In the same week, almost one in seven occupied hospital beds (13,585) were taken up by patients who were medically fit to be discharged.

Although flu cases appear to have peaked for this winter, experts have warned of an overcrowding crisis.

An average of 4,929 patients were in England's hospitals with flu each day last week, down from 5,407 the week before.