Leeds hospitals 'really busy' as virus cases soar

Leeds's hospitals are "really busy" as staff battle to manage an increasing number of flu patients, its chief medical officer has revealed.

- by Harriet Sutton

The nation is experiencing an early surge in flu this year, with an average of 1,717 flu patients in beds in England each day last week, including 69 in critical care, according to the first of this year's NHS winter situation reports.

This is 56 per cent higher than the equivalent numbers for the same week in 2024, when the total was 1,098 with 39 in critical care.