Last winter was one of the toughest the NHS has had to cope with as COVID, Flu, RSV and Norovirus circulated in the population, and flu cases in particular surged; in the week leading up to New Year’s Eve, an average of 4,469 patients with flu were in hospital each day, nearly 3.5 times the number recorded in 2023.
Fortunately, data from from the UK Health Security Agency has calculated that NHS England’s flu vaccination programme managed to avert between 96,000 and 120,200 hospital admissions due to influenza, with estimated vaccine effectiveness against hospitalisation ranging from 38% to 75%.
Despite this good news the number of hospital beds taken up by seasonal viruses last winter was still more than the equivalent of the population of Malta as NHS services experienced a ‘quad-demic’ of viruses and almost 600,000 beds were taken up by patients with these illnesses.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS England’s National Medical Director, commented: “This winter has been one of the toughest ever for staff, and despite their heroic efforts, far too many patients waited too long for care.” Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, added: “I want to thank all NHS staff for their professionalism, resolve, and dedication in keeping our health service functioning throughout another challenging winter. Annual winter pressures, which will always exist, should not automatically lead to an annual winter crisis.”
HR departments can prevent their employees from losing days or weeks to the flu this coming winter with Citi Health - we run on-site corporate flu vaccination clinics across London and the wider UK every autumn. To find out more visit www.citihealth.co.uk/flu-vaccinations, call 0203 633 6301 or email contact@citihealth.co.uk.
