Hampshire hospitals report huge rise in flu admissions

Medical staff at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital are seeing high numbers of flu patients

Hospitals say entire wards are being taken up with flu patients as a surge in cases sweeps the country.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs hospitals in Andover, Basingstoke and Winchester, saw 961 patients with flu last month.

More than 140 had to be admitted for in-patient care, compared with just one during December the previous year.

Medical staff are urging vulnerable people to get their flu jabs.

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As well as a jump in the number of flu cases, staff are also coping with a rise in Covid cases, increased staff sickness and a shortage of beds.

The trust said, last Thursday, 23% of its hospitals' beds were occupied by people who could go home if they had a care package.

Matron Nina Oldham, who is based at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, said: "We used to have bays that would be flu bays but, actually, for the whole ward to be flu is quite unusual.

Hospitals are coping with high levels of staff sickness

"We're still seeing Covid patients, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) patients, we've still got our day-to-day work as well so, with the extra flu, it is just exceptional at the moment.

"Staff are working so hard and, because they are so tired, they are getting sick. Staff sickness is quite high at the moment."

Healthcare assistant Rebecca Hasted said: "We started of with a couple of beds, then it was a bay, then it was two bays and now it's the whole ward.

"It's been very, very hectic."

Patient Robert Gray, who has been in hospital for a week, said: "I've been very, very ill but they've been absolutely wonderful here."

It was announced on Monday that thousands of NHS patients in England will be moved into care homes as part of the government's plan to ease unprecedented pressure on hospitals.

The NHS is being given £250m to buy beds in care homes and upgrade hospitals amid a winter crisis.