Nursing staff ‘battling’ high levels of ‘festive flu’

Flu cases in hospitals have risen above last year’s peak as festive infections ‘flood’ the NHS early this winter, health leaders have warned.

The latest weekly figures, published today, show that one in 18 hospital beds are being taken up or closed by a ‘festive bug’ – with 2,504 beds alone being occupied by flu patients, an increase of almost half on last week (1,891).

Cases of norovirus and RSV also remain high with 711 beds taken up by norovirus patients, almost a quarter more than last year.

The data also shows 127 children in hospital with RSV each day last week, a quarter more children when compared to the same period last year.

Executive director of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in England, Patricia Marquis, warned nursing staff are ‘battling’ to hold the health service together and are ‘deeply concerned’ about the coming weeks.

‘Right across the NHS beds are full, A&E is facing increasing pressures, while the growing number of flu cases threatens to overwhelm an NHS and workforce already in crisis,’ she said.

Ms Marquis warned that the situation was being worsened by ‘strains’ in social and community care, with lack of care close to home forcing more patients to use A&E or hospital beds.

‘Once again winter is exposing the true impact of failures to invest in our nursing workforce. As we head toward 2025, the government must show it values the profession through action and not warm words,’ she said.

People are still being encouraged to visit a Covid-19 walk in vaccination site or find a pharmacy offering the flu vaccine.

The NHS has opened more beds this year than any year before (102,464) – yet bed occupancy remains high with 96,406 beds occupied.

NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said the early festive flu season was putting increased pressure on staff and urged those eligible to come forward for their flu vaccination.

‘As children finish school and friends and families congregate over the Christmas period, we expect viruses to continue to spread so if you haven’t got your flu jab and are eligible please come forward, and the public should think twice about seeing loved ones if they are seriously unwell,’ he said.

Earlier this month, the RCN warned that there is ‘barely a spare bed left’ in NHS hospitals due to a lack of capacity in social care.

The union has also warned that the flu ‘tidal wave’ is exposing nursing workforce gaps, with low numbers of nurses struggling to keep up with the rising demands of patients.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is also urging healthcare professionals to come forward for their flu jab and Covid booster, amid ‘lower than expected’ uptake.

Last month, NHS trust leaders warned that primary and social care capacity were among the ‘greatest risks’ to the provision of high-quality patient care this winter.