Whitty calls for better elderly care as NHS flu numbers rise

The medical profession must do more to prevent and manage infections in elderly people as the current methods are “hit and miss”, according to Prof Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England.

- Nicola Davis Tobi Thomas

There are warnings that the NHS is facing an “unprecedented flu wave”, as the number of people with the illness in hospitals across England hit a record high.

The NHS England statistics found that an average of 1,717 flu patients were in beds each day last week including 69 patients whose condition was critical. This compares with 1,098 flu patients in NHS hospital beds at the same time last year, representing a 56% increase.

Prof Julian Redhead, the national director for urgent and emergency care, said the figures confirmed the NHS’s “deepest concerns” that it was bracing for an unprecedented flu wave this winter, with cases “incredibly high for this time of year and there is no peak in sight yet”.