Hospitals have declared critical incidents as they battle high pressure (Image: Getty)
Surging infections and mean hospitals are battling “mammoth demand” – on top of 2024 being the busiest year on record for A&E departments.
The number of patients in with flu increased by a fifth from 4,469 at the end of December to 5,408 last week, NHS data showed.
The latest figure was significantly higher than the average of 1,548 at the same time last year and almost five times higher than the beginning of December.
Meanwhile, data for 2024 showed A&E departments dealt with a record 27.42 million attendances – 7.1% higher than in 2023 (25.61 million).
NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “It is clear that hospitals are under exceptional pressure at the start of this new year, with mammoth demand stemming from this ongoing cold weather snap and respiratory viruses like flu – all on the back of 2024 being the busiest year on record for A&E and ambulance teams.”
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Prof Powis said staff were doing a “remarkable job” in difficult circumstances”, adding: “It is hard to quantify just through the data how tough it is for frontline staff at the moment – with some staff working in A&E saying that their days at work feel like some of the days we had during the height of the pandemic.
“As the incredibly busy winter continues and hospitals clearly experience intense pressure, please do continue to only use 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and use NHS 111 and 111 online for other conditions, as well as using your local GP and pharmacy services in the usual way.”
As the quad-demic continues, there were also more than 1,100 patients on wards with and 626 with .
Some 72 children were in hospital with , up 47% from the same time last year.
NHS Providers interim chief executive Saffron Cordery said: “Winter has been brutal so far for the NHS and we’re not out of the woods yet. Things are likely to get worse before they get better.
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“Stresses and strains on urgent and emergency services, which are experiencing record demand, are a huge concern with many patients facing long waits for ambulances and in A&Es.”
Meanwhile, separate figures showed the NHS waiting list for planned treatment fell by 61,000 to 7.48 million procedures in November – the lowest figure since May 2023.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said it would “take time to turn the NHS around”.
He added: “In the past six months, we have ended the junior doctors’ strikes so staff are on the front line not the picket line for the first winter in three years, and introduced the new RSV vaccine. But despite the best efforts of staff, patients are still receiving unacceptable standards of care.
“Although this winter’s campaign vaccinated more people than last winter, this strain of flu has hit hard, putting more than three times as many patients into hospital compared to this time last year.”