The number of flu patients in hospital has risen across England for the sixth week in a row, figures released on Thursday morning show. Multiple hospitals declared or continued critical incidents this week, the highest NHS alert level, as the surge in respiratory cases overwhelmed accident and emergency departments.

Cases of flu are continuing to soar as the latest data showed the number of hospital patients in England with the illness was five times higher than at the beginning of December. Data published on Thursday by NHS England showed there were 5,

NHS data shows flu hospitalisations have increased five-fold amid 'quad-demic' as England’s top doctor warns ‘things as bad as at height of the Covid-19 pandemic’

The number of flu patients in hospital in England is nearly five times the figure at the start of last month. NHS England has published its latest monthly performance data for hospitals, along with this week’s snapshot of winter virus levels and A&E pressures. Here are the key figures from both reports:

The number of people with flu in hospital in England has quadrupled over the past month and is rising "at a very concerning rate", NHS chiefs have warned. Latest data shows there were 5,000 patients with the virus being treated in hospital at the end of last week - almost 3.5 times higher than the same week in 2023, although not as high as in 2022.

Exceptionally high demand' on services forces hospitals to declare critical incidents amid rising cases of flu and respiratory illness - Anadolu Ajansı

NHS leaders have warned that the peak of the flu cycle has not yet hit, with February and March potentially worse for the health service.

Eight major UK hospitals have declared a critical situation over the past day due to an unusually high demand, reportedly caused by pressure from seasonal flu.