The United Kingdom is struggling with a surge in flu cases as medical professionals are joining strikes, exacerbating the current dilemma.
Authorities said that the number of people in hospitals with flu rose by 500% in the past month as winter viruses tighten their grip on the region. There were roughly 942 patients who had flu in the seven days to Christmas Eve, which is a massive rise from the 160 that was recorded four weeks ago.
Flu Surge in the UK
There were another 452 people who were laid up with diarrhea and vomiting that was caused by noroviruses, which is 62% higher than what was recorded this time last year. Authorities also observed 3,620 COVID-19 patients on wards, which is an increase from the 2,275 from the prior month.
The National Health Service's (NHS) Prof. Sir Stephen Powis said that the "storm of pressure" will be exacerbated by the six-day junior doctors strike scheduled for next week. He added that there have been large increases in fly patients and many more norovirus cases than what was observed last winter, as per The Sun.
A three-day strike last week led to more than 86,329 operations and appointments being rescheduled to a later date. Sir Stephen said that it was unfortunate that the impact of the strike next week is likely to be much more severe.
Sir Julian Hartley of NHS Providers noted that the numbers give a preview of the scale of the challenges faced by trusts and front-line staff. He said that they are calling on the government and unions to start from scratch and find a way to resolve the damaging and demoralizing industrial dispute.
Healthcare leaders have expressed concern that patients' safety could be at risk during the next round of strikes. These are being held during what is typically considered the most pressured week for the NHS.
Sir Stephen also warned that the strike next week comes at a time when hospitals "usually experience the most pressure with high demand and higher levels of virus admissions." But Hartley described a drop in handover delays as "encouraging" amidst other issues, according to The Independent.
Medical Professionals' Strikes
Opposition parties have accused the government of not prioritizing the NHS and the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Daisy Cooper said that hospitals are underfunded. She added that this has been the issue for years under the Conservative government.
She claimed that this has left both patients and hardworking NHS staff struggling to get by. The official said that the NHS and the number of beds that are available for people in need should be a key priority for the government.
The shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting said that the "misery" caused by the delayed discharges over Christmas was "entirely avoidable" He also promised to give more "care in the community."
Streeting attributed the issue to 13 years of Conservative cuts to social care as well as district nurses leaving 10,000 patients in hospitals for Christmas Day. He noted that the next Labour government will introduce a fair pay agreement for care workers to address staff shortages, said The Guardian.
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