Birmingham has emerged as the hardest-hit area in England during this intense flu season, with the NHS reporting unprecedented hospital admission rates due to the so-called ‘super-flu.’ Last week, hospitals across the city saw an average of 217 beds occupied daily by flu patients, marking a sharp increase from 147 the previous week and setting a record for this time of year.
This surge has placed immense pressure on healthcare facilities, with NHS England describing the situation as “unprecedented.” Other cities are also grappling with rising flu cases: Manchester recorded over 100 flu-occupied beds per day, East London 85, Stoke on Trent 83, Sheffield 72, and Leeds 64.
Nationally, flu-related hospitalisations have surged by 55% in just one week, reaching an average of 2,660 patients admitted daily in the week ending December 7, 2025. This number is enough to fill the equivalent of more than three full hospital trusts, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing the NHS.
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Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS National Medical Director, emphasized the severity of the situation: “We are facing a worst-case scenario for December with record demand in emergency departments and ambulance services. The ongoing wave of super flu, combined with an impending resident doctors' strike, is pushing NHS staff to their limits.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting highlighted ongoing efforts to mitigate the crisis. Over 17 million people have been vaccinated, including 60,000 more NHS staff than last year, and 2,500 additional GPs have been recruited to improve community care and reduce hospital strain.
Streeting urged resident doctors to accept a proposed deal that could end planned Christmas strikes, emphasizing the critical nature of the current period for healthcare services: “The offer we have made would address staffing issues and help avoid disruptions during the most dangerous time of year. We call on doctors to support this deal and protect the NHS.”
As flu cases continue to rise with no peak in sight, hospitals across England brace for an increasingly challenging few weeks ahead.