Super flu leaves NHS facing ‘worst case scenario for this year’ after spike in cases

The NHS have sounded the alarm over an ‘unprecedented wave’ of ‘super flu’ as cases surge to record highs.

Hospitals face a ‘worst-case scenario’ with new data showing the H3N2 virus left an average of 2,660 patients in hospital each day last week.

This is the highest ever for this time of year and up 55 per cent on last week.

NHS bosses fear there is ‘still no flu peak in sight’ and warned staff are ‘being pushed to their limit’.

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director, said: ‘With record demand for A&E and ambulances and an impending resident doctors strike, this unprecedented wave of super flu is leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario for this time of year – with staff being pushed to the limit to keep providing the best possible care for patients.

‘The numbers of patients in hospital with flu is extremely high for this time of year.’

The flu outbreak has left a record 106 patients in critical care beds in England last week, which is up from 69 the week before.

At least six hospitals have already declared ‘critical incidents’ amid the record-breaking surge.

NHS staff and patients have been told to wear masks again in some hospitals to reduce the spread

Experts are warning that the flu is particularly nasty this season because of a mutated strain called the H3N2 ‘subclade K’.

It’s causing so many problems because people have not encountered much of it in recent years and so have less immunity against it.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated.

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