Hospitals across England and Wales are facing severe strain as a sharp rise in winter illnesses, including a fast-spreading strain of flu and norovirus, pushes already stretched services to breaking point. Dubbed the ‘two bucket’ disease, as symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting at the same time, it has led several NHS trusts to declare critical incidents in recent days.
Trusts are warning of full wards, long waits in A&E, and ambulances queuing outside hospitals. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust is the latest to take the step, citing overwhelming demand in its emergency departments and intense pressure on staff. In the south of England, Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust have also declared critical incidents.
NHS Surrey Heartlands said hospitals in the area were dealing with “exceptionally high demand”, driven by winter infections and respiratory viruses, with beds at or near full capacity.
Further east, East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust declared a critical incident at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, pointing to sustained pressure on services.
Hospital leaders say the situation is being worsened by the complexity of emergency admissions and difficulties discharging patients who are medically fit to leave, leaving fewer beds available for new arrivals.
The pressure is not confined to the south. Trusts in Birmingham and Staffordshire have reported ongoing strain linked to a significant rise in norovirus cases, while in Wales, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has urged people not to attend hospital if they have had diarrhoea or vomiting in the previous 48 hours.
The health board also asked visitors to stay away if they have recently cared for someone with those symptoms.
The surge follows a recent wave of what experts have dubbed “super flu”, a mutated strain that spread rapidly after undergoing multiple genetic changes over the summer. Specialists have warned the outbreak could be among the most severe seen in a decade, with schools forced to close and large numbers falling ill.
Surveillance data shows both flu and norovirus cases continuing to rise. Last week, 230 confirmed norovirus infections were recorded, a jump of more than 20% compared with the previous week.
The virus has been particularly prevalent among people aged 65 and over, a group already vulnerable to winter illnesses. At the same time, flu-related hospital admissions increased by nearly 10% in just one week.
Health officials stress that there is no specific treatment for norovirus and that people who are infected should stay at home until symptoms have passed.
The NHS advises avoiding cooking for others, not sharing towels or dishes, sticking to bland foods, resting, staying well hydrated and using paracetamol to ease aches and fever.
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