The latest figures for the Christmas and New Year period have shown for the first time the terrible impact the flu has had already this winter across the UK, with the rest of January and February still to come.
According to NHS England there were 4,102 patients in hospital with flu on Christmas Day, rising sharply by almost 25% to 5,074 by Sunday 29 December, meaning mean flu cases in hospital quadrupled in just a month. Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care in England, said: “These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the New Year, skyrocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.”
Nine hospitals across five NHS trusts in England have declared critical incidents in the past week, with all referencing flu, infectious diseases or winter pressures as contributing factors. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, the national medical director for NHS England, cited a “quad-demic” of illness as outbreaks of flu, Covid, norovirus and RSV add to pressure on hospitals.
Meanwhile in Scotland figures published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) show that there was a 12% increase in hospital admissions due to flu at the start of January. Dr Nick Phin, Director of Clinical Protecting Health at PHS, said: “Although we always expect to see increases in flu in winter, we are seeing particularly high levels this year. Vaccination offers the best protection against serious illness from flu. If you’re eligible for a flu, or COVID-19 vaccine, it’s not too late to take up the offer and get protected. In many areas, drop-in clinics are running.”
However, not everybody who wanted a flu vaccination was able to find one: fewer individuals were offered free vaccinations this year, which meant there was more demand for private vaccines, and in Scotland some regions were running out by mid-December.
Residents in the Scottish Borders were told they would have to travel to Edinburgh in search of a private vaccine last month, as the local pharmacies had none left to offer: “This was the one year I haven’t been vaccinated and I was complelely floored by flu – it’s been horrific,” commented Fiona Smith from Ashkirk. “I was out for two weeks and couldn’t get in to work at the busiest time of year, then my husband came down with it, and he was forced to stay at home to recover for a fortnight; he is self-employed so we lost crucial income we were relying on for Christmas.”
This week has seen Edinburgh pharmacies experiencing shortages, according to Community Pharmacy Scotland. Private vaccines are often ordered at the start of the year, so pharmacies have to estimate as early as February how many vaccines to order for next winter, and for 2024/2025 it seems the orders were unable to match the demand in a year where flu has significantly impacted more people than ever across the UK.
Every autumn Citi Health runs private flu vaccination clinics at organisations across the country. This gives HR departments confidence that their workforce won’t be adversely impacted by a bad year of flu, while staff members are reassured that their wellbeing is being supported by their employer.
HR departments can book a flu clinic now at their workplace for this autumn, in time for winter 2025/2026. To find out more telephone 0203 633 6301 or email gayle@citihealth.co.uk.
