Londoners were on Thursday warned to brace for a “quad-demic” of seasonal viruses as figures showed that flu cases are 350 per cent higher than the same week last year.
NHS figures show that an average of 1,099 people were in hospital with flu every day last week compared to 243 in the same week last year.
In London, an average of 35 beds in London hospitals were occupied by flu patients in the week up to December 1 – a lower figure than other regions of the country.
But separate figures show that London hospitals are under serious pressure with a total of 94.8 per cent of beds occupied on November 25. At North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, every single bed was occupied by a patient in the four days up to November 29.
National figures show that there were an average of 756 patients with norovirus in hospital beds each day last week, 1,390 patients with Covid and 142 children in hospital each day with RSV.
A total of 1,556 patients were occupying beds in London hospitals despite being medically fit for discharge on December 1, a rise of 16 per cent on the figure recorded on the same date last year.
NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis 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’, so it’s important that if you haven’t had your Covid or flu jab to follow the lead of millions of others and come forward and get protected as soon as possible.”
He added: “Ambulances are also facing huge demand, with thousands of extra patients and other pressures having an impact on handover delays, which is why our robust plans, including services like urgent treatment centres and same-day emergency care, are so important this winter.”
Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said that hospitals were “already feeling the strain” of a spike in winter bugs and bad weather.
“Delayed discharges also continue to be a worry for trust leaders, with nearly 12,000 patients stuck in hospital when they don’t need to be, with social care and community services also under relentless pressure,” she said.
“High bed occupancy compared to this time last year is also adding to the strain.”
Patricia Marquis, executive director for England for the Royal College of Nursing, said: “There is barely a spare bed in our NHS, with sky-high flu admissions and thousands stuck in hospital unable to be discharged due to a lack of capacity in social care.
“Before the cold weather hits, nursing staff and patients are desperately worried about what the coming weeks and months may bring.”
