Britons were last night urged not to meet up with loved ones if they are ill over Christmas to avoid spreading disease and overwhelming the NHS.
The healthcare industry is preparing for its ‘darkest’ holiday season ever as it grapples with a flu outbreak, a bed lockout and the fallout from strikes.
Bosses warn the service is heading into the weekend with an uncertain number of patients on wards, a shortage of manpower and “dangerously close to full-scale overheating”.
This is because A&E ambulance transfer delays are the worst ever, leaving crews to respond to new 999 calls for hours. And inquiries to the NHS 111 helpline are nearing a peak as worried parents seek advice about the Strep A outbreak sweeping through schools.
Saffron Cordery, chief executive of NHS Providers, said: “Trust leaders expect this Christmas to be one of their darkest yet.”
Britons were last night urged not to meet up with loved ones if they are ill over Christmas to avoid spreading disease and overwhelming the NHS.
and Dr Mary Ramsay, a director at Britain’s Health Security Agency, said eligible adults should get their flu and Covid vaccinations.
She added: “Both Covid-19 and the flu can cause serious illness or even death for those who are most vulnerable in our communities, which is why it is also important to avoid contact with other people when you are unwell to be around not to be.” Prevent infections from spreading around the world. Christmas and New Year’s time.’
It is feared patients who were delayed seeking help when nurses and paramedics stepped in this week are now racing to be seen. However, it is likely that fewer staff will be available to handle the influx as hospitals have a shortened schedule over the weekend and Christmas Day.
New figures were announced yesterday:
- The number of patients admitted to hospital with flu in England rose by 67 per cent in one week – a 60-fold increase from the same time last year;
- In England, an average of 13,697 hospital beds per day were occupied by discharged patients last week – 28 per cent more than a year ago;
- A quarter of patients in England waited more than an hour to be taken by paramedics to emergency teams last week;
- The number of hospital cases of Covid-19 in England has risen to the highest level in almost two months;
- Last week there were 721,301 calls to 111 services, almost 60 percent more than the same week last year;
- Last week, 100,101 general and acute hospital beds were open – up from 90,621 this time last year – but around 19 out of 20 were full;
- In England, five more children have died from invasive Strep A infection, bringing the total number of current outbreaks to 21;
- The proportion of in-person GP appointments fell for the first time in ten months to 69.1 per cent, of which around three in ten were remote
Ms Cordery added: “After very few flu cases over the past two years, partly due to social distancing during the pandemic, this flu season looks much heavier compared to previous years. The increase … has affected bed occupancy, which is still above what considered safe.”
Patricia Marquis, Director for England at the Royal College of Nursing, said: “These figures suggest that there is absolutely no gap in the system, which is dangerously close to total overheating.”
Dr Ian Higginson, vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “We are concerned that there will be no room at the inn for our patients and that the next few weeks could be some of the most difficult we have ever faced experienced.’
Bosses warn the service is heading into the weekend with an uncertain number of patients on wards, a skeleton staff and “dangerously close to full-scale overheating”.
The healthcare industry is gearing up for its ‘darkest’ holiday season ever as it grapples with a flu outbreak, a bedlock crisis and the fallout from strikes
An average of 1,939 patients with flu were in hospital each day last week – 67 per cent more than 1,162 the previous week, according to NHS England. The number of flu patients in intensive care beds has also risen, with a daily average of 149 over the past week.
At the same time last year, the NHS had just two flu patients a day in intensive care and 32 in general beds. One in four ambulance patients in England – a total of 16,379 – waited more than an hour to be transferred to emergency teams last week due to a combination of bed shortages and increased demand.
About four in 10 patients – 28,105 – had to wait at least 30 minutes to be transferred. Meanwhile, there were 721,301 calls to NHS 111 services last week, up from 706,129 the previous week.
NHS England said it was an “almost record-breaking” level, an increase of almost 60 per cent on the 452,644 calls in the same week in 2021. The rise in demand is said to be partly driven by parents worried about Strep A symptoms. , the number of Covid cases in England’s hospitals reached 8,643 – the highest since 28 October.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of the NHS, said: “It is clear that the NHS is under enormous pressure in the run up to Christmas.”
Leyla Hannbeck, CEO of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies, said pharmacists face “unbearable” levels of violence and abuse due to drug shortages and healthcare backlogs. She said the number of incidents had tripled, adding: “We’ve had pharmacists threatened that their house will be set on fire, their family will be damaged, knife threats etc. It’s very scary.”
In related news…
Flu! Flu is hitting the NHS with cases up to sixty times higher this year than last winter, figures show
A further FIVE children die from Strep A as the UK death toll rises to 24
Prepare for MORE ambulance mayhem! Unison announces two more strike dates in January as another union in Wales plans to strike
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
