Flu in the NHS: how many patients are in hospital with flu? The 15 trusts in England with the greatest increase

The number of flu patients in England’s hospitals skyrocketed between Boxing Day and New Year with more than 5,000 beds occupied daily, including hundreds in critical care.

In the seven days to 1 January, 5,441 beds were taken up  each day on average by flu patients, according to data published by NHS England. This is a 45% rise on the week before when 3,746 were in hospital.

There has also been a sharp rise in the number of patients receiving intensive care with the latest figures showing 336 were in critical care units, up  by 26% on the previous week’s figures (week ending 25 December) when 267 were in critical care.

Several hospitals saw the number of flu patients more than double in that time. Just 14 out of 137 NHS trusts saw the number of patients drop, while three trusts saw a drop.

Health secretary, Steve Barclay, said a surge in Covid and flu cases were causing significant pressure on the heath system and urged eligible people to come forward for a flu and Covid jab but new analysis by NationalWorld found uptake of the flu jab had fallen across at-risk groups this year. Health chiefs recently warned that this year’s flu season could be more severe than in the years before the pandemic and urged people to stay at home and wear masks if unwell.

Here we reveal the NHS trusts across England with the greatest increase in flu patients in the seven days ending 1 January. The analysis is based on hospitals that had at least five flu patients each day on average the week before (week ending 25 December).

Read more:

Flu vaccine: alarm at drop in jab take-up among at-risk groups - as number in hospital hits 10 year high

Nine in 10 NHS hospitals dangerously busy in England – how your local hospital compares

NHS 111: more than a third of emergency calls abandoned over Christmas and New Year