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A sharp rise in flu, Covid and norovirus cases has pushed East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Ipswich Hospital, to near capacity, with 97% of beds now occupied. Healthcare leaders warn this could be the most challenging winter in NHS history.
Why it matters: The unprecedented occupancy rates at East Suffolk and North Essex Trust, which runs Ipswich Hospital, signal mounting pressure on local healthcare services just as winter begins. The situation mirrors a national crisis that healthcare leaders say could worsen.
By the numbers:
97% of beds at the trust were occupied the week before last
This is up from 94% the same time last year
The trust had an average of 1,211 occupied beds daily in the week to 1 December
The big picture: NHS England data shows hospitals across the country are experiencing similar pressures. Around 95% of hospital beds in England are currently occupied – the highest figure ever recorded at this point in the year.
What they're saying: "There is barely a spare bed in our NHS, with sky-high flu admissions and thousands stuck in hospital unable to be discharged due to a lack of capacity in social care," says Patricia Marquis, executive director for England at the Royal College of Nursing.
Driving the news: Healthcare leaders are warning of a "quad-demic" – a combination of rising hospital admissions for:
Flu (up sharply from 221 to 1,098 patients nationally compared to 2023)
Covid-19
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Norovirus (cases up 86% year-on-year)
What's next: Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency, says there's still time to "change the trajectory" before Christmas but warns more people need to come forward for their flu vaccines.
The bottom line: With winter only just beginning and multiple infectious diseases on the rise, Ipswich Hospital faces significant challenges ahead. Health leaders say vaccine uptake could be crucial in determining how severe the winter crisis becomes.
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