Flu: Oxfordshire GP warning people to stay at home if ill
NHS England says in the 7 days to Sunday, the number of patients with the illness in hospital increased by 70%
A GP from Oxfordshire is urging people to take up the flu vaccine and stay at home if they are ill, as the number of people hospitalised has massively increased.
NHS England is today warning of a "tidal wave of flu hitting hospitals", saying the number of hospital beds in England occupied by patients with flu has increased by 70% in a week.
Plans for Christmas could be put on hold if you or one of your family members get the flu this winter as we’re being reminded to protect vulnerable people over the festive period.
Figures show the number of people in hospital with flu has more than quadrupled compared to this time last year, as NHS says hospitals are "busier than ever" for this time of year.
"Stay away from vulnerable people"
Dr Ed Capo-Bianco is a GP at Goring and Woodcote medical practice, he said: “If you are unwell and feeling poorly, think of your neighbours. You might not have much in the way of chronic long-terms health conditions, but the person sitting next to you on the bus or in the supermarket may well do.
“If you have got an illness or a virus – You’re coughing, have a fever, or things like that – stay away from vulnerable people, keep yourself at home. Don’t spread these things around as they are very easily spread.”
Dr Capo-Bianco also tells us why this time of year is particularly bad for illnesses and flu, he says, “when the weather drops, and it gets a bit colder that’s when we see a rise is respiratory viruses circulating.
“As more people are spending time indoors in closer proximity and the drop in the temperature brings those viruses with it as well”.
"There is a long winter ahead of us"
People who are eligible for a free flu jab are being urged by the NHS to take up the offer "as soon as possible" whilst research shows that 2 in 5 are still yet to have or book their flu vaccine this year, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
School children are most likely to catch and spread flu, yet the data reveals only 10% of adults understand influenza positivity is higher amongst children aged 5-14.
Health leaders have also warned that the NHS service is facing a "quad-demic" of disease amid rising cases of flu, Covid-19, norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Leading nurses said there is a "barely a spare bed in the NHS" as they highlighted how staff and patients are "desperately worried" about the coming weeks and months.
New figures for the NHS in England show that an average of 1,099 flu patients were in hospital beds each day last week, including 39 in critical care.
This is up sharply on the equivalent numbers for the same week in 2023, when the total was 243 with nine in critical care.
NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: "The NHS is busier than it has ever been before heading into winter, with flu and norovirus numbers in hospital rising sharply - and we are still only at the start of December, so we expect pressure to increase and there is a long winter ahead of us.”