SOARING cases of flu which has seen almost every bed at Barnsley Hospital being occupied so far in January is set to continue amid warnings of a ‘quad-demic’ of winter illnesses, NHS bosses have warned.
The most recent NHS situation report for this winter shows Barnsley Hospital had an average of 457 out of 475 beds occupied 96 per cent in the week to December 29 in what’s been dubbed a ‘tidal wave’ by MPs.
At Barnsley Hospital, an average of 28 patients had flu, with two in critical care.
NHS bosses have warned of a ‘quad-demic’ with rising hospital admissions for flu, Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and norovirus across the country.
Lorraine Burnett, chief operating officer at Barnsley Hospital, said: “Like the NHS across the country, our emergency department is really busy, so we’re asking patients and their families to help us.
“As is often the case in winter, this is not an easy time for our teams across the organisation and we thank them for their continued hard work and professionalism.
“Please consider other sources of help and advice such as NHS 111 and community pharmacies for anything that isn’t life-threatening or an emergency, such as colds, ear aches and sore throats.”
The increase in demand on emergency hospital services is region-wide, and it is expected that the current challenges on services will continue for some time.
Barnsley Hospital leaders are ‘planning accordingly’, while monitoring and adapting to demand and maintaining the best service for patients.
Extra beds were brought in as is normally the case in the winter, with 24 more on ward 37 being available until May 2025.
Professor Julian Redhead, NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, added: “These latest figures show the pressure from flu was nowhere near letting up before we headed into the new year, sky-rocketing to over 5,000 cases a day in hospital as of the end of last week and rising at a very concerning rate.
“On top of flu there is also continual pressure from Covid-19, while RSV and norovirus hospital cases are also higher than last year, with hospitals putting in place an extra 1,300 beds last week than the same time last year in expectation of this continued pressure from viruses and other demand.
“We know the low temperatures can be dangerous for those who are vulnerable or have respiratory conditions so if you are at risk, do try and keep warm and make sure you are stocked up on any regular medication.
“Please continue to use NHS 111 and online if you need advice and support for health conditions, and only use 999 or attend A and E in life-threatening emergencies.”
