Hospitals in England have been hit by a storm of norovirus infections as the number of beds taken up by patients with the virus reached a record high last week.
An average 1,160 patients a day were in hospital with norovirus last week -a 22% surge on the previous week (948) and more than double the same period last year (509).
The NHS.uk webpage on norovirus has useful information for the public including symptoms, how to treat it, and how to stop it spreading.
The latest data shows flu cases in hospital have continued to fall but are still putting pressure on front-line services, with an average 1,755 patients with flu in beds last week, including 87 in critical care, down 14% on the week before (2,039).
There were 22 children on average in hospital with RSV each day, up 83% from 12 the week before and 144% higher than nine last year. The number of patients with Covid rose slightly on the week before, up 3% from 952 to 984.
Pressure on hospital capacity remained high last week with 95.4% of adult beds occupied, and a total of 97,152 patients in hospital each day.
Delays discharging patients to settings like social or community care continued to have an impact on capacity, with almost 1 in 7 beds (13,767) taken up by patients who did not need to be there.
Emergency services are continuing to respond to high levels of demand with 94,356 ambulance handovers, but thanks to the hard work of staff time lost to ambulance handover delays was down a fifth on the same period last year (18,688 hours vs 23,494.)
NHS staff have faced one of the most challenging winters it has ever had with huge demand, high bed occupancy and pressure from winter viruses with staff delivering more than 29 million Covid, flu and RSV vaccinations since the start of the rollout in September.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England, said: “It is concerning to see the number of patients with norovirus hit an all-time high and there is no let up for hospital staff who are working tirelessly to treat more than a thousand patients each day with the horrible bug, on top of other winter viruses.
“To help stop the spread of norovirus, it is important to remember to wash your hands frequently with soap and water and avoid mixing with other people until you have not had symptoms for two days.
“Hospitals continue to run at near capacity, with added pressure from almost one in seven beds taken up by patients who don’t need to be in hospital, and as these pressure continue it is vital that the public continue to use 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and use NHS 111 – and 111 online – if you need advice and support for other conditions.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said: “Today’s data shows the NHS is continuing to grapple with winter pressures across the country and I want to thank all the NHS staff working tirelessly in difficult conditions.
“We have taken action to support the NHS this winter, including delivering millions of vaccinations for people up and down the country, rolling out the RSV vaccine for the first time and ending the resident doctor strikes so that staff are on the front line, not the picket line for the first winter in three years.
“It will take time, but through our Plan for Change, we will get the NHS back on its feet.”
Amy Douglas, Lead Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said: “Norovirus cases are still exceptionally high and continue to rise, though we are hopeful that the school half term provides a break. It remains important to take steps to avoid passing on the infection.
“Norovirus remains high in other settings like hospitals and care homes too, and can be more severe in older adults, younger children and those who are immunocompromised. Please do not visit hospitals and care homes or return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others as you can still pass on the virus.
“Alcohol gels do not kill norovirus. Wash your hands with soapy warm water and clean surfaces with bleach-based products where possible to help stop infections from spreading.”
The latest weekly winter data is available on the NHS England website.