Patients told to attend A&E alone as health boss says flu peak is yet to come
PATIENTS have been told to go to A&E alone, as one of England’s chief doctors warns the peak of the flu outbreak is still to come.
Some hospitals have urged people to leave relatives at home to stop viruses spreading.
And NHS England’s director of emergency care Prof Julian Redhead warned that cases could continue to rise.
He added: “It’s too early to say it has definitively peaked.
“I hope there’s a peak in the next one-to-two weeks. Wards are now full.”
The flu surge has put pressure on ambulance services. And at least a dozen hospitals nationwide have declared critical incidents.
Dr Ed Smith, at York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals, said: “Emergency departments may have limited places to sit.
“If patients attend alone, this will free up much needed space for patients.”
Derriford Hospital in Plymouth made the same plea to its patients.
Figures show around 5,000 people were in hospital with flu at the end of 2024 — and data today is set to show a further rise.
GP Annie Farrell said: “If someone needs to go to hospital, we’re potentially sentencing them to 24 hours in a waiting room.”
It comes as scenes of crowded hospitals in China stoked fears of the next Covid with cases of little-known winter virus hMPV surging.
But the World Health Organisation said hMPV was still at normal levels.
hMPV Q&A
WHAT is hMPV?
The virus causes tiredness, a cough, runny nose and aches. It’s often mild and disappears in a week of rest. People with weakened immune systems may need medical help.
Is it in the UK?
Yes, it has been circulating for decades. Five per cent of people tested for respiratory infections have hMPV, compared to 30 per cent for flu.
Should we worry?
No, most people have had it already and developed some immunity to it. There is no evidence of hMPV mutating to be more dangerous.