NHS National Medical Director Professor Stephen Powis said: “Over 100,000 patients with COVID have been admitted to hospital since the emergence of the Omicron variant – and today’s figures show that staff remain under pressure on various fronts as they continue to make inroads on the elective backlog.

“With seasonal pressures and almost 60,000 staff off work each day on average last week, hospitals are continuing to work hard to get people home to their loved ones safely, with hundreds more beds freed up each day compared to the week before.

“As ever, anyone who has health concerns should come forward through your local GP or by getting in touch with 111 online so that staff can help you get the care you need”.

Background

112,268 patients with COVID have been admitted to hospital since 27 November when the first Omicron case was recorded in England.

Pressure on hospital remains high as over 3/4 of all adult critical care beds being occupied.

Staff absences remain unusually high with nearly 60,000 staff absent each day on average last week.

Demand on NHS 111 services remain high with over 320,000 calls answered in the past week.

The demand on ambulance services remains at the high levels we’ve seen all winter with over 84,000 patients arriving at A&E by ambulance last week.