Winter pressure: NHS struggles to cope with flu surge as hospitals declare critical incidents

How bad is it?

Latest NHS England figures show that hospitals had an average 5407 patients a day with influenza, including 256 in critical care, in the week to 5 January.1 This was 3.5 times the number in the same week last year (1548 for the week ending 7 January 2024). NHS staff have told the BBC this is one of the worst winters they have seen, comparing it to 2022-23, which was the worst since modern records began.2 The Royal College of Physicians warned of “chaos” in hospitals, with ever more care provided in corridors and other temporary environments. Saffron Cordery, interim chief executive of NHS Providers, said “winter has been brutal so far” and predicted that “things are likely to get worse before they get better.” The BMA’s chair of council, Phil Banfield, warned that “we are in a national emergency,” adding, “A seasonal flu outbreak is something we know will come and yet it's helping bring our health system to its …