Winter news, advice and blogs

NHS England’s winter news, advice from Clinical Directors and blogs can be found here. It is important the public know what they need to do to keep well and advice on how to keep well and where to get expert advice will be given throughout the winter and can be found on the NHS website.

NHS warns of ‘bargain basement’ BBLs in run up to Christmas

England’s top doctor is warning the public about the risk of ‘bargain-basement’ Brazilian butt lifts, following a stream of deals being offered by overseas clinics in the run up to Christmas.  The NHS has seen clinics offering 25% discounts, all-inclusive packages including hotels and flights for under £3,000, as well as finance deals in a […]

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Winter pressure builds as no sign of ‘festive flu’ letting up

Flu cases in hospital have already surpassed last year’s peak as festive infections “flood” hospitals early this winter. Latest weekly figures published today show one in 20 hospital beds are being taken up or closed by a festive bug, with 2,504 general and acute beds alone being taken up by flu patients – an increase of almost 40% on […]

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Hundreds of thousands of older people to get urgent care at home this winter

Hundreds of thousands of older and frail patients will receive urgent treatment from home this winter, as part of NHS plans to manage additional pressure this winter. Rapid teams based in local neighbourhoods will attend less clinically urgent calls within two hours and treat patients for a range of conditions and issues at home. From […]

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Final chance to book jabs to avoid ‘festive flu’

The NHS is urging those eligible for vaccination to come forward without delay before the National Booking Service closes this Thursday (19 December). Latest data shows over half a million vaccinations for flu and COVID-19 have now been booked in the last five weeks alone, with the NHS today making a “last chance saloon” call […]

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NHS winter vaccine bookings surge following flu ‘tidal wave’ warning

Thousands more people in England booked their winter vaccines yesterday (Thursday) after the NHS warned of a “tidal wave” of flu and other seasonal viruses hitting hospitals.  The number of flu and COVID-19 jab appointments booked through the NHS’s national booking system more than doubled from 9,452 on Wednesday to 21,144 on Thursday – a […]

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Don’t spend your Christmas holidays in bed with the flu

The NHS is offering flu jabs to people at football clubs, supermarkets and Christmas markets as it braces itself for a rise in winter viruses in the coming weeks. Latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows flu cases are currently highest among 5 to 14-year-olds, but adult cases are expected to rise […]

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Hospitals managing record flu levels going into Winter

NHS fears of a potential ‘quad-demic’ are rising with a 350% increase in flu cases and an 86% rise in norovirus cases in hospital compared to same week last year – alongside concerns about rising COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)c levels in hospitals. New weekly figures published today for the first time this year, […]

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Less than three weeks left to book NHS COVID-19 and flu vaccinations online

With less than three weeks left to book COVID-19 and flu vaccinations online, NHS chiefs are urging everyone still eligible to get protected – as the latest figures show nearly 25 million vaccines have been delivered so far. As the huge effort to help avoid a ‘tripledemic’ this winter continues, people have until the end […]

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NHS calls on public to use NHS 111 this winter

The NHS’s top A&E doctor is urging the public to use 111 services this winter, as the health service launches its annual campaign with adverts across online video, radio, podcasts and social media. The campaign comes as the NHS ramps up its plans to deliver the safest possible care this winter, including the delivery of […]

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More than one million people get RSV jab in first ever NHS rollout

More than one million people have been vaccinated against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), after the NHS launched a rollout of the jab for the first time in its history this autumn. Data published today shows NHS staff have delivered 1,047,208 RSV vaccinations in just over two months, as the NHS ramps up efforts to avoid a […]

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