News Beat
Bolton NHS faces nearly 3,000 per cent increase in flu cases
The Trust is facing an average of 30 cases per day, an increase of 2900 per cent compared with last week’s figure of only one.
Nationally, admissions of influenza are about 55 per cent higher this week than they were at the start of December as community infections begin to rise.
The cases come amid concerns about looming junior doctor strikes, which Health Secretary Wes Streeting says are causing him to be “genuinely fearful”.
He claims the NHS is “effectively” at “one minute to midnight” heading into what is usually the service’s busiest time of the year.
Commenting on the Bolton increase, Dr Helen Wall, a Bolton GP and clinical director for population health at NHS Greater Manchester, urged more people to get their vaccine.
A vaccine bus has been in place near the Town Hall on Friday (December 12) as more people look to be immunised against the virus.
Dr Wall said: “Flu cases are rising across Greater Manchester, alongside other winter viruses.
“While this does put pressure on the NHS, our teams are managing the extra demand and are ready to help everyone who needs care.
“You can help by getting your flu vaccine if you’re eligible, looking after yourself at home when you’re unwell, and using services like NHS 111, your GP, or pharmacies for advice or treatment.
“With resident doctor strikes planned next week and winter demand already high, taking these steps helps ensure care is available for everyone who needs it.”
ALSO READ: ‘Flu can be fatal’ – people urged to get the jab
ALSO READ: ‘Worst’ flu season in years as cases and hospital admissions soar
ALSO READ: Asda Pharmacy launches £2 incentive for customers who book their flu jab
Flu figures have risen by more than half throughout the country in the last week, with stats showing record numbers of flu cases for this time of year.
Bolton’s percentage increase is therefore significantly higher than the national average.
Mr Streeting said a “particularly aggressive strain” of flu is creating “probably the worst pressure the NHS has faced since Covid”.
He added: “This is always a hard and challenged time for the NHS in the run up to Christmas and the first week of the new year, we could just about cope with that.
“The idea that we will have to contend with that plus strikes is dangerous, actually, and I am extremely worried about the pressure on staff, but more seriously, the risk to patients if we end up with that double whammy of both flu and strikes.”
