London is among the worst-hit regions
Health officials fear London hospital admissions for flu could triple as a winter epidemic seizes the country – with the capital among the worst-hit regions. Public health leaders have issued media briefings up and down the UK about an alarming spike in flu incidents – with low vaccination rates in London making the city more vulnerable than most other regional hubs.
On Thursday, NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey warned last year’s record of 5,408 hospital beds occupied by flu patients could be exceeded next week by a figure anywhere from 5,000 and 8,000. He branded the decision by doctors to strike as “cruel” and “calculated to cause mayhem at a time when the service is really pulling all the stops out to try and avoid that and keep people safe”.
At a board meeting on Thursday, Sir Jim said the planned strike action had caused “a genuine and palpable feeling of anger, frustration and exasperation” among colleagues, adding: “I really do hope we can find a way of avoiding this.”
An average of 259 flu patients took up London hospital beds on each day of last week, triple the 89 recorded at this time last year, the Evening Standard reports.
Separate figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) show the rate of hospital admissions for flu stood at 7.8 per 100,000 people last week, up sharply from 4.8 the previous week and almost double the rate at this point last year (4.4).
Admission rates were highest among people aged 85 and over, at 40.0 per 100,000; 75-84 year-olds (21.4); and children aged four and under (21.2). The flu virus spreads when people cough or sneeze, and infection rates are higher in winter as more people spend time together indoors.
Appointments for free flu jabs can be booked at GP practices, on the NHS app, or by calling 119 (with translators available). Alternatively, search ‘NHS pharmacy vaccine’ online. It takes around two weeks for flu vaccine to take effect and those most at risk are urged to take action sooner rather than later.
- People eligible for a flu vaccine include:
- People with long-term health conditions aged six to 65
- People aged 65 and over
- Pregnant women
- All children aged two to three years old on August 31
- Primary school-aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
- Secondary school-aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
- Carers and frontline health and social workers
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund health think tank, said: “[The] data confirms that the NHS is entering the most challenging period of the year with pressures hitting the health and care service from all directions.
“Rising flu waves and industrial action are all adding strain to a system which is already struggling to deliver timely care for patients. The flu season started unusually early this year and is yet to peak, so it is too soon to know how long this surge will be sustained for.”
Data in the NHS situation report shows that while flu patients are at a record high for this time of the year, the numbers for norovirus and Covid-19 are lower than in previous winters.
An average of 263 hospital beds in England were filled last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, compared with 756 at this point in 2024. There was an average of 825 patients in hospital beds each day who had tested positive for Covid-19, lower than the 1,390 for this week last year.
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