NHS hospitals have nearly run out of beds

Hospitals are running out of beds, with less than half the people fit for discharge released each day in England.

The NHS is under pressure from multiple directions. At 96% capacity on average, adult beds are closer to capacity than any point this winter.

Norovirus is wreaking havoc. Diarrhoea, vomiting and other stomach bug symptoms filled an average of 961 hospital beds each day last week.

‘Cases are way above what we would usually see at this time of year’, Amy Douglas, epidemiologist at UK Health Security Agency, said. ‘Outbreaks in hospitals continue to rise.’

But just 41% of people ready to leave hospital last week actually did, due in part to the long-running problem of delays transferring people from hospitals to social and community care.

As a result, hospitals are ‘close to full’. That’s even after ‘more beds have been opened to manage the increased demand’. according to Professor Julian Redhead, NHS England’s national clinical director for urgent and emergency care.

In total, 98,101 patients were in hospital each day last week. Around 7% of the 13,776 occupied hospital beds were filled by patients deemed clinically ready for discharge.

While most people recover from norovirus in a couple of days, some people – including the younger, elderly and people with compromised immune systems – may suffer more serious and prolonged illness.

Cases of the stomach bug have reached the highest levels since 2020, while other viruses also circulate.

Douglas said: ‘It’s really important that if you have diarrhoea and vomiting, you take steps to avoid passing the infection on.

‘Please avoid visiting people in hospitals and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.

‘Do not return to work, school or nursery until 48 hours after your symptoms have stopped and don’t prepare food for others in that time either. This is because you can still pass on the virus in the days after you stop being sick.’

Prof Redhead said: ‘While pressures on hospitals remains incredibly high, it’s vital people continue to use NHS services in the normal way – using 111 and 111 online if you need advice and support for health conditions, and only using 999 or attend A&E in life-threatening emergencies.’

Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting said: ‘The broken NHS this government inherited has led to patients and staff facing unacceptable conditions in hospitals up and down the country this winter.

‘It will take time to fix the NHS but with investment and proper reform, we can make our health service fit for the future and make sure that annual winter pressures do not automatically lead to an annual winter crisis.

‘We’ve taken important steps to reduce pressures this year – including ensuring doctors are on the front line and not the picket line – and over the coming years, our Plan for Change will deliver the necessary reforms to improve urgent and emergency care services and reduce waiting times.’

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