8th January 2025 – (Birmingham) Recent reports from U.K. media indicate a severe outbreak of flu in Britain, with an average of 4,469 flu patients admitted daily in England over the past week—an alarming increase of 3.5 times compared to the same period last year. The surge in admissions has overwhelmed emergency departments, with some hospitals reporting wait times of up to 91 hours for treatment and an average wait of 50 hours for other cases. Numerous hospitals have declared critical incidents in response.
Nine hospitals across five NHS trusts in England have issued critical incident declarations, citing flu, other infectious diseases, and winter pressures as key factors impacting services. NHS officials have termed the current crisis a “quad-demic,” with the NHS flu advice page experiencing a visit every eight seconds over the past week.
This year’s flu outbreak is particularly severe, with recent data indicating that cases are nearly 3.5 times higher than during the same period last year. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the NHS national medical director for England, expressed concern over the escalating demand on frontline staff, stating, “The pressure is unrelenting, with flu cases soaring to around 5,000 daily by the end of last year.”
University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust declared a critical incident on Tuesday across its four facilities, reporting an “exceptional number” of patients with flu symptoms requiring hospitalisation. Chief Nurse Margaret Garbett urged the public to consider alternative healthcare options for non-emergency conditions, suggesting pharmacies or calling NHS 111 for advice.
On the same day, Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust also announced critical incidents, indicating that their emergency departments were overwhelmed. The Hampshire trust advised patients to seek other care options, warning of extremely high attendance levels and long waits for non-life-threatening conditions.
The Royal Liverpool University Hospital declared a critical incident on Monday, informing patients that they could face waits of up to 50 hours in A&E due to the high volume of flu and respiratory illness cases. A spokesperson emphasised that the decision was made to ensure the safe treatment of patients amid the ongoing crisis.
The latest NHS statistics reveal that A&E visits have risen by nearly 7% compared to last year before the flu surge began. In November alone, there were over 2.3 million A&E presentations, a 6.6% increase compared to November 2023.
The post British hospitals declare critical incidents as flu cases surge, patients facing 91-hour waits appeared first on Dimsum Daily.
English (US) ·