The number of patients in hospital in England with the vomiting bug norovirus has reached a new winter high, figures show.
Hospitals are continuing to “run at near capacity”, officials warned, with almost one in seven beds occupied by people who are medically fit to be discharged.
Weekly data published by NHS England shows an average of 1,160 hospital beds were filled each day last week by patients with diarrhoea and vomiting or norovirus-like symptoms, up 22% from 948 the previous week.
Norovirus levels also remain higher than at this point 12 months ago, when an average of 509 beds were filled with patients with symptoms, and also two years ago (629 patients).
Norovirus is a stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.
It usually gets better in around two days with most patients able to care for themselves at home, but some people – including young children; the elderly or people with weakened immune systems – are at risk of suffering more serious and prolonged illness.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said: “It is concerning to see the number of patients with norovirus hit an all-time high and there is no let up for hospital staff who are working tirelessly to treat more than a thousand patients each day with the horrible bug, on top of other winter viruses.”
Amy Douglas, lead epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), added: “Norovirus cases are still exceptionally high and continue to rise, though we are hopeful that the school half-term provides a break.
“It remains important to take steps to avoid passing on the infection.”
Experts stressed alcohol gels do not kill norovirus and advise washing hands with warm soapy water (Philip Toscano/PA)
Ms Douglas stressed that alcohol gels do not kill norovirus and hands should be washed with warm soapy water to stop the spread of infection.
She also advised for surfaces to be cleaned with bleach-based products.
Elsewhere, figures show an average of 13,767 hospital beds per day were filled last week with patients who were fit to be discharged.
This is down from 14,087 the previous week, which was the highest number so far this winter.
On average, 41% of patients ready to leave hospital last week were actually discharged each day.
Sir Stephen added: “Hospitals continue to run at near capacity, with added pressure from almost one in seven beds taken up by patients who don’t need to be in hospital, and as these pressures continue it is vital that the public continue to use 999 and A&E in life-threatening emergencies and use NHS 111 – and 111 online – if you need advice and support for other conditions.”
Some 29.1% of patients arriving by ambulance at hospitals last week waited at least 30 minutes to be handed over to A&E teams, up from 27.9% in the previous week.
The figure stood as high as 42.2% at the start of the year.
Some 9.6% of ambulance handovers last week were delayed by more than an hour, up week-on-week from 9.1%, but well below the peak of 21.3% in early January.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting added: “Today’s data shows the NHS is continuing to grapple with winter pressures across the country and I want to thank all the NHS staff working tirelessly in difficult conditions.
“We have taken action to support the NHS this winter, including delivering millions of vaccinations for people up and down the country, rolling out the RSV vaccine for the first time and ending the resident doctor strikes so that staff are on the front line, not the picket line for the first winter in three years.
“It will take time, but through our Plan for Change, we will get the NHS back on its feet.”
Meanwhile, flu levels in hospitals in England have fallen for the sixth week in a row.
An average of 1,755 flu patients were in beds each day last week, including 87 in critical care.
This is down 14% from 2,039 the previous week, when 96 were in critical care.
The total is slightly lower than at this point last winter (2,208) but higher than at this stage two years ago (638).