The NHS is urging patients not to put off coming forward for care, with thousands of resident doctors expected to walk out on strike for five days from today. Industrial action begins at 7am today (Wednesday 17 December) – lasting until 7am on Monday 22 December – and hospital teams across the country are working […]

Flu hospitalisations have surged by more than half in just one week, plunging the NHS into a “worst case scenario” situation for December, new figures reveal today.  An average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week – the highest ever for this time of year and up 55% […]

The NHS is facing an unprecedented flu wave this winter with “no peak in sight yet” according to England’s top emergency care doctor. Latest figures show an average of 1,717 patients were in a hospital bed every day last week because of flu – the highest on record for this time of year. Cases were […]

NHS teams across the country are ramping up their winter flu vaccine offer in the lead up to Christmas – hitting the high street and local shopping centres in a bid to bring the vaccine closer to patients across the Black Friday sales. The country-wide vaccination drive kicks off this weekend with those eligible for […]

The NHS waiting list is 230,000 lower than July last year, even as the health service ‘approaches its limit’ with A&E and ambulances facing record demand ahead of winter. The overall waiting list for September was 7.39 million (an estimated 6.24 million patients) down 15,845 compared to the previous month and 230,000 fewer than July […]

The NHS has issued a ‘flu jab SOS’, with England’s top nurse warning people to get protected now, with only weeks to go before the worst of the flu season typically bites. Eligible adults are being urged to come forward now, so they are fully protected ahead of the usual flu season peak in the […]

The flu season has hit the NHS more than a month earlier than usual, with cases three times higher than this time last year. The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA’s) latest surveillance data published today shows cases have increased this week from 6.1% up to 8.2% – largely driven by a spike among school-aged children […]

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines kick off for all eligible people from today to help ‘winter-proof’ those most vulnerable and the NHS amid new variants circulating this year.   Vaccination teams across England are working to protect millions most at risk of getting seriously ill this winter by building immunity ahead of December and January, when hospitalisations for respiratory […]

Parents will be able to get their two and three year olds vaccinated against flu at local pharmacies for the first time ever this autumn. Around 4,000 pharmacies have signed up to deliver the vaccine to the 1.2 million eligible toddlers from next week, making it easier than ever for busy parents to protect their […]

The NHS is running ‘stress test’ exercises and providing targeted care for vulnerable patients, as it strengthens its plans to winter-proof the health service. Throughout September, local NHS leaders will test the robustness of their winter plans by participating in scenario exercises such as staff shortages, rapid increase in demand, and multiple virus outbreaks. Local […]