Nursing Notes reports that a triple hit of Influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus is causing a spike in demand, with a wave of hospitals in England declaring critical incidents as they struggle to cope with the demand.
NHS trusts in Dorset, Surrey, Sussex, Portsmouth, and Nottingham join a growing list of hospitals that say they are struggling to keep up with demand. Trusts say A&E departments, alongside acute respiratory services, are being hit hard.
It comes on top of paediatric services already being under high demand due to an increased number of patients with Step A or Scarlet Fever.
The NHS Confederation, which represents NHS trusts in England, has warned services are “facing one of the toughest winters in its history”.
NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor said: “The number of critical incidents we have seen declared over recent days are an accumulation of a number of difficult challenges meaning the NHS is facing one of the toughest winters in its history.”
Full story in Nursing Notes, 30 December 2022