Key Summary
- Hospitals remain under pressure, mainly due to norovirus.
- Flu cases are falling, but many patients are still being treated.
- Vaccination and good hygiene continue to be important.
NHS ambulance services carried out faster deliveries as the ‘winter vomiting bug’ or norovirus continues to keep the A&Es on their toes.
They completed 94,551 ambulance handovers last week alone, higher than last year’s busiest week, and the average handover time was three minutes faster than the preceding week.
The norovirus continues to build demand in hospitals with an average of over 1,100 adult beds closed or occupied each day last week.
There was an average of 950 patients in hospital each day last week with the bug - 127 more than the week previous and nearing the last year’s peak of 961 cases.
Flu rates have come down after the sudden surge last month.
However, there is still an average of 1,987 patients visiting the hospital with flu and an average of 647 patients coming with Covid-19 per day last week.
As a part of the NHS’s plan to tackle the situation, it has so far delivered 18.8 million vaccines via the autumn/winter campaign.
So far, 4.7 million Covid-19 vaccinations have also been delivered, along with 2.5 million RSV vaccinations as well.
“Hospitals continue to face sustained pressure from viruses and other demands, but NHS staff have worked hard to tackle winter head on and it looks like this is having an impact,” said Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director.
She said the early NHS winter preparations and half a million vaccinations have ensured fewer patients in the hospital with flu than last year.
However she was concerned that seasonal viruses, especially norovirus, continue to cause disruption and take up hospital beds.
“Washing your hands with soap and warm water and using bleach-based products to clean surfaces will help stop infections from spreading. Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus so don’t rely on these alone,” said Amy Douglas, lead epidemiologist at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
“If you have diarrhoea and vomiting, don’t return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either.”
“If you are unwell, avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection to those most vulnerable,” she added.
Health secretary Wes Streeting said, “Winter pressures haven’t gone away, but the NHS is meeting them head on. If you’re eligible, get vaccinated, follow public health advice and help us keep the service there for everyone who needs it.”
