The NHS in England is busier than it has ever been heading into winter, the nation’s medical director is warning.
Prof Sir Stephen Powis mentioned rising charges of flu and the vomiting bug norovirus had been placing hospitals below enormous pressure.
Around 95% of beds already occupied firstly of December – charges usually solely seen within the depths of winter.
The pressures additionally appear to be having an influence on ambulances with two-thirds of crews dealing with delays after they drop sufferers at A&E.
They are meant to have the ability to handover sufferers to hospital employees inside quarter-hour of arriving, however final week 67% of arrivals took longer than that.
The common handover time was simply over 44 minutes.
The figures – the primary set of winter efficiency knowledge – have been revealed because the prime minister set out his six priorities for government, together with one for the NHS which is to get hospital ready instances again to hitting the 18-week goal.
But whereas that could be a long-term goal, the winter knowledge suggests a extra rapid drawback is getting the NHS via the approaching months.
Sir Stephen, NHS England’s medical director, mentioned: “The NHS is busier than it has ever been earlier than heading into winter, with flu and norovirus numbers in hospital rising sharply – and we’re nonetheless solely firstly of December, so we count on stress to extend and there’s a lengthy winter forward of us.
“For some time there have been warnings of a ‘tripledemic’ of Covid, flu and RSV this winter, however with rising circumstances of norovirus this might quick change into a ‘quad-demic’.”
Out of simply over 100,000 beds, there was a median of almost 1,100 occupied with flu sufferers final week – 4 instances larger than at this stage final 12 months, suggesting an earlier peak in flu this winter.
Nearly 1,400 beds had been occupied by Covid sufferers and 750 by norovirus. Another 142 kids had been in hospital with RSV every day on common.
Rory Deighton, of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, mentioned: “These figures are deeply worrying as they supply but extra proof the NHS is already below appreciable pressure earlier than the pressures of winter have peaked.
“We knew that the well being service was operating sizzling, with A&Es, ambulances and normal apply having their busiest October on document.
“But it’s clear that the influence from seasonal viruses is being felt a lot sooner than in earlier years.”
