Overview
- - Patients in hospital with flu averaged 2,924 per day in the week ending January 4, a 9% rise after two weeks of declines.
- - Ambulance handover delays worsened, with 33% waiting at least 30 minutes and 12%—11,805 patients—waiting over an hour.
- - Overall bed occupancy rose to just under 92%, up 5% week on week, as norovirus and Covid hospital use increased.
- - Press Association analysis shows the fastest flu patient growth in the south-west (+36%), south-east (+24%) and eastern England (+17%), with London and the north-east largely flat.
- - The NHS has delivered more than 18.6 million flu vaccines this season and will send reminders to parents of eligible children, as leaders caution the winter surge is far from over.