Britons have again been warned to brace themselves for a record-breaking surge in flu, largely driven by the mutant H3N2 strain.
The number of hospital beds in England occupied by infected patients is already higher than ever for this time of year with ‘no peak in sight’, officials have warned.
Health leaders believe the UK could face its worst flu season to date — with some hospitals already declaring critical incidents, reintroducing Covid-era mask mandates and implementing visitor bans.
Health chiefs today warned the virus had plunged the NHS into a ‘worst case scenario’ situation, with with ‘still no flu peak in sight’.
The strain, dubbed subclade K or the ‘super flu’ by others, mutated seven times over the summer, helping it to evade previous immunity, sparking alarm among experts.
NHS figures show that in the last week of November, more than 2,600 beds alone were taken up by flu patients each day, highest ever for this time of year.
Of these, 106 were in critical care beds, up over a third on the 69 logged last week.
In seven NHS trusts alone, hospitalisations have more than quadrupled on the previous week.
Projections have suggested there could be between 5,000 and 8,000 hospital cases by the end of this week. The highest ever recorded was 5,400.
Officials yesterday also issued an urgent plea to parents to get their children vaccinated against flu in a bid to protect their grandparents at Christmas.
The Daily Mail has also crunched the data into an interactive map, allowing readers to see exactly how many people in your local area have been hospitalised with the flu.
Whittington Health, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals, Royal Berkshire, Royal Surrey County Hospitals, Sherwood Forest Hospitals, University Hospitals Southampton and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trusts all saw flu hospitalisations at least quadruple last week.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust saw the highest number of flu hospitalisations last week, with 254 beds occupied as of December 7.
Of these, seven were in critical care.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust followed with 101 beds, of which six were critical care.
Barts Health NHS Trust, meanwhile logged 84 beds occupied by flu patients and University Hospitals of North Midlands, 83.
As a proportion of beds, Whittington Health had the highest number, with about 10 per cent of ward beds occupied by flu patients.
This was followed by University Hospitals Birmingham on 9 per cent and Northern Lincolnshire on 8 per cent.
Dartford and Gravesham, also had roughly 8 per cent of ward beds occupied by flu patients.
Rising flu cases this week have also led to a critical incident being declared at at least two NHS trusts, which includes six hospitals.
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which is responsible for Queen Elizabeth, Heathlands and Good Hope Hospitals along with nearby Solihull Hospital, issued an alert due to ‘extreme pressures’.
The trust posted on all its hospitals’ social media sites saying its A&E departments are facing huge demand.
Meanwhile, University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM) trust is urging people to only use A&E in a serious or life-threatening emergency.
The announcement covers both Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford.
The NHS declares a critical incident when they can no longer guarantee that patient care can be delivered safely.
Such incidents are typically declared in response to overwhelming demand or infrastructure failure.
Since September, health officials have urged the millions eligible to come forward for their Covid and flu jabs, to reduce their risk of becoming severely unwell and needing hospital care.
Yesterday, bosses also issued an urgent plea to parents to get their children vaccinated against flu in a bid to protect their grandparents at Christmas.
People who are aged over 65, those with long term health conditions, pregnant women, care home residents and carers are eligible for a free jab.
Children aged from two to 17 are eligible for free flu vaccination on the NHS, usually in the form of a nasal spray, with GPs offering them for those aged two and three.
There are signs that calls for eligible Brits to roll up their sleeves and get jabbed have been heard, with more than 17.4 million vaccines now administered in England — over 170,000 more than this time last year.
But the health service is also still facing the threat of strikes by resident doctors, which could start next Wednesday on December 17 and last until December 22.
Health secretary Wes Streeting yesterday offered the British Medical Association (BMA) a last-minute deal in the hope of avoiding a five-day strike.
The doctors’ union has agreed to put the offer to members over the coming days and, if they support it, the strike could be called off. But a decision won’t be made until Monday.
The offer includes a fast expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees, but does not include extra pay.
Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS National Medical Director, said: ‘With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year — with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.
‘The numbers of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year.
‘Even worse, it continues to rise and the peak is not in sight yet, so the NHS faces an extremely challenging few weeks ahead.
‘NHS staff have pulled out all the stops to vaccinate more people than last year, and with just a week left to ensure maximum immunity from flu for Christmas Day, I would urge anyone eligible for the vaccine to please book an appointment or visit a walk-in site as soon as possible.
‘Vaccination is the best protection against getting potentially very ill and it also helps protect those around you.
‘We have prepared earlier for winter than ever before, and stress-tested services to ensure people have a range of ways to get the help they need and avoid needing to go to A&E.
‘For non-life-threatening care, people should call NHS 111 or use 111 online, which can direct you to the most appropriate place, and use A&E and 999 for life threatening conditions and serious injuries.’
