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The UK is seeing a “super flu” surge, and it’s set to get worse.
A sharp rise in winter illness is putting England’s health service under growing pressure as December begins.
New figures published Thursday point to a rapid escalation in hospital demand, with senior leaders warning that the coming weeks could be particularly difficult.
Hospitals are also preparing for disruption later this month, and now the NHS is bracing for a “worst case scenario”.
Rising flu cases
The data shows flu admissions jumped by more than half in a single week. An average of 2,660 patients a day were being treated in hospital for flu last week, a 55% increase and the highest level ever recorded for this point in the season.
According to NHS data, that daily total alone is enough to fill more than three hospital trusts. Health leaders say numbers have continued to climb since the reporting period, with no clear peak yet visible.
Norovirus is also spreading quickly. The average number of patients hospitalised with the virus rose by 35% to 354 a day, adding further strain as winter infections circulate simultaneously.
Pressure across services
The spike in illness comes as emergency and urgent care demand reaches new highs. November saw a record 2.35 million attendances at A&E departments, more than 30,000 higher than the same month last year.
Ambulance services also reported heavier workloads, with 802,525 incidents recorded in November, nearly 49,000 more than a year earlier. Despite this, average response times for Category 2 emergencies, such as strokes and heart attacks, improved to 32 minutes and 46 seconds, almost 10 minutes faster than in October.
Vaccines and staffing
The NHS says vaccination efforts are being intensified. More than 17.4 million people have received a flu jab so far this season, around 170,000 more than at the same point last year. Uptake among frontline staff has also increased, with over 60,000 more workers vaccinated.
However, the service is bracing for five days of industrial action by resident doctors from December 17, raising fears of further disruption before Christmas.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the situation as “a tidal wave of flu tearing through our hospitals,” pointing to vaccination levels and recent GP recruitment as measures to reduce pressure.
The NHS is urging patients to attend planned appointments unless told otherwise and to use NHS 111 for urgent but non-life-threatening problems during strike action.
Sources: NHS England, Department of Health and Social Care
