NHS facing 'significant' pressures says health secretary amid influenza spike

The NHS in Scotland is continuing to face “significant” winter pressures, the health secretary has admitted, amid a spike in hospital admissions due to influenza and accident and emergency departments coming under increasing strain.

Neil Gray said that cases of influenza A remained “very high,” and urged members of the public to get vaccinated at a time when seasonal illnesses are on the rise. The Scottish Government has convened a number of meetings on NHS winter preparedness in recent weeks, chaired by First Minister John Swinney, to plot a way through.

But the spike in illnesses - including unexpectedly high numbers of influenza A - as well as increased demand on the ambulance service, has seen the health service struggle. The latest data published by Public Health Scotland shows that in the week up to 29 December, 1,537 people were taken to hospital as a result of the flu outbreak, compared to 1,375 the previous week - a 12 per cent rise.

Dr Iain Kennedy, chair of BMA Scotland, said the rising cases were “very concerning” and warned that the coming weeks could prove “extremely challenging” for a health service that is already “struggling to cope”.

Health secretary Neil Gray said the NHS is facing ‘significant’ pressures. Picture: Jeff Moore/PA Wire | Jeff Moore/PA Wire

Mr Gray said he was “enormously grateful” to all those working in health and social care for their “extraordinary efforts over the busy festive period”, and praised people for seeking different forms of care to stem pressures on A&E services.

“I want to thank the public, too, for taking heed of messages about accessing the right care in the right place, and taking steps to help slow the spread of infection,” he said.

“It is important for everyone to be familiar with the different resources available, including NHS Inform’s online tools that can help you to get appropriate health advice as quickly as possible.”

The latest health data shows that over two thirds of people under the age of 65 but with underlying health conditions have still not been vaccinated against flu, mirroring trends elsewhere.

Mr Gray added: “Everyone can reduce the chance of catching flu or spreading it to others with good hand hygiene and other precautions, staying home if you have respiratory symptoms and most crucially, getting the vaccination if eligible.

“I urge those who are eligible for vaccinations this winter to come forward as soon as possible to protect themselves against seasonal illnesses.”

Statistics released on Friday levels of flu in Scotland were at an “extraordinary” level, impacting 52.6 people per 100,000 of the population.

There has also been a steep increase in the number of people testing positive for influenza. The figure stood at 1,542 in the week ending 15 December, before spiking to 2,823 in the week ended 22 December. The latest period shows a slight rise on that number to 2,886.

Members of the public have been urged to get vaccinated amid the spike in seasonal illnesses. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire | Andrew Milligan/PA Wire

The Public Health Scotland report indicated that a “substantial” number of well-vaccinated care homes had confirmed influenza outbreaks, but so far, only a “small number of deaths” had been reported.

Its report added that while there was “relatively little pressure” on intensive care units, there was one instance where a pregnant woman was admitted with influenza.

Dr Nick Phin, director of clinical protecting at Public Health Scotland, said that although it always expected to see increases in flu during winter, it was encountering “particularly high levels” of the virus circulating.

Incidences of patients with norovirus are also higher than normal, with a provisional total of 1,927 confirmed laboratory reports in the week ending 29 December. By comparison, the five year average for the same period is just 1,311.

Dr Kennedy said: “We’ve already seen examples of the NHS coming under severe strain relatively early in winter, with NHS Grampian having to declare a critical incident at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and reports of doctors warning that conditions in Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow were ‘grossly unsafe’.

“The reports of rising cases of flu are of course very concerning and our hospitals and GP practices are very busy with patients with viral illnesses, which is not just flu but other viruses such as covid and RSV.

“With other pressures such as the current cold snap, the weeks ahead could prove extremely challenging for the NHS, which is already struggling to cope.”

It comes as health boards around the country warned of how their services were under growing strain as a result of the winter pressures. On Friday, NHS Lothian again issued a message on social media advising members of the public that its accident and emergency services were “under extreme pressure,” the sixth such alert it has issued since Hogmanay.

In the latest message on X, it urged people not to attend its “exceptionally busy” emergency departments unless they were experiencing a “critical emergency.” The post advised: “If it’s not a critical emergency, you face a very long wait if you come to A&E.”

It also asked people to collect their loved ones from hospital “as soon as they're able to be discharged,” explaining “This frees up hospital transport, and means there are more beds for those that need them most.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Fife said that its A&E services had been “extremely busy,” with staff working “incredibly hard” over the festive period. She said that anyone attending A&E for a non-critical emergency may face a longer wait, or could be safely redirected elsewhere.

Elsewhere, Scotland’s biggest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, has advised the public that its A&E services are “extremely busy,” with the front page of its website directing people to advice so as to provide them with the best urgent care.

NHS Tayside, meanwhile, said it was seeing an increase in respiratory illness in the community and in its hospitals. In an effort to help keep patients and staff safe, it asked people to only attend appointments and A&E with one other person, and to not visit patients in “big groups.”