NHS Midlands hospitals with the most beds occupied by flu patients

Thousands of beds were occupied by flu patients in England last week, with hundreds receiving critical care treatment, latest health figures show.

In the seven days to 25 December, 3,746 beds were occupied each day on average because of flu, according to data published by NHS England. This is a 79% rise on the week before when 2,088 were in hospital. There were also hundreds of seriously ill flu patients receiving critical care. On average acute trusts were treating 267 people in critical care each day.

Health chiefs recently warned that this year’s flu season could be more severe than in the years before the pandemic and urged people to stay at home and wear masks if unwell.

In December the number of patients in hospital with flu in England “skyrocketed” with admissions overtaking those for Covid earlier in the month.

What about Birmingham and West Midlands hospitals?

The NHS figures show that from 19 to 15 December there were 18 beds occupied by flu patients at the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust.

No beds were occupied by flu patients at either the Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust or the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust during that week.

The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust in Stoke-on-Trent had the highest amount of beds occupied by flu patients in the region during the week up to 25 December, with 110. This was the fourth highest out of any trust in England.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust had 106 beds occupied by flu patients that week. This was the second highest rate in the midlands and fifth highest rate in the country.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust had 96 beds occupied by flu patients, which was the ninth highest rate in the country and fourth highest in the Midlands, and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust had 87 patients in hopital beds with flu - the fourth highest rate in the region and 11th highest rate out of trust across the country.

How does this compare with the rest of the country?

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust had more flu patients than any other hospital in England. On average there were 185 people in hospital each day on average with flu.

There were 176 people in hospital each day on average with flu in Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust - the second highest rate in England

And Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust had the third highest rate, where there were 125 people in hospital each day on average with flu.