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| Flu cases make NHS busier than ever with 95% of beds full | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The NHS in England is busier than it has ever been heading into winter, the country’s medical director is warning. | The NHS in England is busier than it has ever been heading into winter, the country’s medical director is warning. |
| Prof Sir Stephen Powis said rising rates of flu and the vomiting bug norovirus were putting hospitals under huge strain. | Prof Sir Stephen Powis said rising rates of flu and the vomiting bug norovirus were putting hospitals under huge strain. |
| Around 95% of beds already occupied at the start of December – rates normally only seen in the depths of winter. | |
| The pressures also seem to be having an impact on ambulances with two-thirds of crews facing delays when they drop patients at A&E. | The pressures also seem to be having an impact on ambulances with two-thirds of crews facing delays when they drop patients at A&E. |
| They are meant to be able to handover patients to hospital staff within 15 minutes of arriving, but last week 67% of arrivals took longer than that. | They are meant to be able to handover patients to hospital staff within 15 minutes of arriving, but last week 67% of arrivals took longer than that. |
| The average handover time was just over 44 minutes. | The average handover time was just over 44 minutes. |
| 'Deeply worrying' | |
| Sir Stephen, NHS England’s medical director, said: “The NHS is busier than it has ever been before heading into winter, with flu and norovirus numbers in hospital rising sharply - and we are still only at the start of December, so we expect pressure to increase and there is a long winter ahead of us. | Sir Stephen, NHS England’s medical director, said: “The NHS is busier than it has ever been before heading into winter, with flu and norovirus numbers in hospital rising sharply - and we are still only at the start of December, so we expect pressure to increase and there is a long winter ahead of us. |
| “For a while there have been warnings of a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter, but with rising cases of norovirus this could fast become a ‘quad-demic’.” | “For a while there have been warnings of a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter, but with rising cases of norovirus this could fast become a ‘quad-demic’.” |
| Out of just over 100,000 beds, there was an average of nearly 1,100 occupied with flu patients last week – four times higher than at this stage last year, suggesting an earlier peak in flu this winter. | Out of just over 100,000 beds, there was an average of nearly 1,100 occupied with flu patients last week – four times higher than at this stage last year, suggesting an earlier peak in flu this winter. |
| Nearly 1,400 beds were occupied by Covid patients and 750 by norovirus. Another 142 children were in hospital with RSV each day on average. | Nearly 1,400 beds were occupied by Covid patients and 750 by norovirus. Another 142 children were in hospital with RSV each day on average. |
| Rory Deighton, of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, said: “These figures are deeply worrying as they provide yet more evidence the NHS is already under considerable strain before the pressures of winter have peaked. | |
| “We knew that the health service was running hot, with A&Es, ambulances and general practice having their busiest October on record. | |
| "But it is clear that the impact from seasonal viruses is being felt much earlier than in previous years." |