Flu cases quadruple in hospitals as NHS trusts left struggling to cope with winter virus fallout

THE number of patients being treated for flu in hospital is "skyrocketing", with sufferers on NHS wards more than quadrupling in a month.

- Hanna Geissler

UK Health Security Agency figures show 5,074 patients were being cared for on December 29 up from 1,190 at the end of November.

It comes as some NHS trusts have faced their worst Christmas pressure for years.

NHS clinical director for urgent and emergency care, Professor Julian Redhead, said: "These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.

"On top of flu, there is also continual pressure from Covid, while RSV (respiratory syncytial virus)and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year. Hospitals put in place an extra 1,300 beds last week than the same time last year in expectation of this continued pressure from viruses and other demands."

'We have a huge flu spike. I've never seen numbers like it'

Meanwhile, cases are expected to rise further in the coming weeks from festive gatherings where infectious diseases can spread.

With a so-called quad-demic of winter viruses sweeping Britain, an average of 1,184 hospital beds were occupied by Covid patients last week.