Elliot Burrin
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Today, NHS figures revealed that patients in hospital in England with flu are at the highest level ever for this time of year.

Cases are up 55% from the week before. They're also rising in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and there's no peak in sight.

We've heard from public health systems that are under pressure to keep up with demand, with one A&E unit taking over a former care home to create extra beds. That's before a potential five-day walkout by resident doctors next week, which Keir Starmer's called "irresponsible".

The highest flu rates are in children and young people aged five to 14. In some places, schools have closed because of large flu outbreaks.

Some pharmacies have struggled with the higher demand, with stocks in Scotland running low. Despite a "tidal wave of flu", the Department of Health and Social Care says there's still plenty of vaccine supplies.

The NHS is urging anyone eligible to get their flu vaccination to help prevent them getting seriously ill.

We're ending our coverage here for today, but you can keep reading here:

• 'Super flu' wave hits hospitals in England with no peak yet
• Why is flu so bad this winter - and should you buy a vaccine?
• Is it a cold, 'super flu' or Covid? How to tell the difference

Image source, ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA/Shutterstock

One major factor contributing to anxiety within government is the prospect of a five-day resident doctors' strike next week.

Earlier, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it would be "irresponsible" of the British Medical Association to go ahead with its industrial action plans, "particularly in the run up to Christmas, particularly when we've got a problem with flu".

The planned walkout is set to begin on 17 December unless an agreement is reached. It comes at a difficult time, after the number of patients in hospital with flu hit a record level for this time of year.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has accused the BMA of "threatening to douse the NHS in petrol" and "light a match".

But Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctor committee, said the BMA wrote to the health secretary on 19 November before strikes were planned, but received no reply.

A last-minute offer was put forward by ministers earlier this week, and could still avert the strike. It includes a rapid expansion of specialist training posts as well as covering out-of-pocket expenses such as exam fees. It does not include any promise of extra pay.

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It's going to a "tough winter" for the NHS, says the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), but it adds that there is no national shortage of flu vaccines.

“There is a tidal wave of flu tearing through our hospitals... which is why we began preparations earlier than ever before and have taken decisive action to protect the health service," the statement reads.

"It is vital that patients and staff can get protected. Over 17 million vaccines have been delivered this autumn - 170,000 more compared to this time last year... there is no national shortage."

News the NHS is facing a "worst-case scenario" for this time of year due to the super-flu wave has led health leaders to respond with critical advice for the public, while others have criticised the ability of the system to cope.

• Dr Suzanna McDonald from the UK Health Security Agency advises those with symptoms - such as coughing and sneezing - to consider wearing a face mask and stay at home to limit the spread of infection. If you need to leave the house, stick to outdoor spaces
• Dr Elizabeth Whittaker, from the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London, says the latest flu stats tally with what she's seeing in the emergency department and wards

• The latest cases show "just how dangerous the situation is getting," says Professor Nicola Ranger, chief executive of Royal College of Nursing. She warns hospitals could soon be overwhelmed, with many already at capacity
• But for Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, the strain on the NHS is caused by clinicians being overloaded throughout the country, not just the surging flu

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

I've just spoken with John Puntis, retired hospital doctor and co-chair of the organisation Keep Our NHS Public. I asked him what advice he would give to people concerned about the spread of flu as we enter the busy Christmas social season.

He says it's a "bit like the Covid advice" - keep rooms well ventilated where possible with windows open. "If you're already unwell, don't go out and spread it around," he adds.

Wearing a face mask may also be "sensible" in some circumstances, he says.

Puntis has chosen to wear one on recent train journeys. He also advises against visiting elderly or vulnerable relatives if you think you are unwell.

Earlier, we heard from Professor Meghana Pandit, national medical director for the NHS.

She says there's just a week left to get a flu jab to ensure "maximum immunity" on Christmas Day.

That's because flu vaccines can take up to 14 days to take effect.

We'll also bring you some advice on staying healthy during the festive season.

We've been talking a lot about positivity tests today, this is the percentage of tests for an illness - in this case flu - that come back positive.

And since September of this year, it's the younger age groups that have seen the highest numbers of positive returns on tests.

You can see how different age brackets compare in the graph below.

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

We've been bringing you the latest data from the UK Health Security Agency. Earlier it published its weekly report on infection levels, which takes account of spread in the community as well as hospitals.

The agency says flu rates are still rising, but not as sharply as they were last week.

On some measures flu levels have flattened in recent days - you can see that in the chart here.

But experience of previous years shows that flu can be unpredictable, and a slow down can be followed by another surge.

And data coming in from hospitals suggests cases of people seriously ill continue to rise quickly.

Lisa Young
BBC News, South West

A secondary school has closed for two days because of an outbreak of flu and streptococcus infection.

Dominic Wilkes, head teacher of Budehaven Community School in Bude, said there had been more than 270 pupils and 32 members of staff off sick with the illnesses on Wednesday.

He said following advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Cornwall Council and the school's governors and senior staff agreed "a firebreak" was "the best decision was to move to a remote curriculum to try and break the spread of infection".

The latest NHS figures show hospital admittances for flu are at their highest levels on record for this time of year.

This question's for Dr Lindsay Broadbent, Surrey lecturer in virology: Will flu cases slow down after the early spike?

This is what Dr Broadbent says: As many people have been infected quite quickly, we may see a slowdown and, as we heard from Scotland, it seems that may be happening in Scotland.

It's too early to say yet if this is an early peak that we'll see come down quite quickly, or if we'll see a sustained flu season.

There are a lot of factors at play here, including how many people are infected and how many people are vaccinated.

That concludes our question-and-answer segment.

A lot of people have asked what the symptoms are for flu - and at what point should you seek medical help.

Catherine Burns, BBC health correspondent, says:

Flu is that nasty virus where you get fevers, muscle aches, and exhaustion - someone once described it as, if you had a hundred pounds at the bottom of your bed, you'd be too tired to pick it up and take it.

Most people get over it with one or two weeks' bed rest, but for some it can develop into pneumonia.

The first port of call if you think you should seek medical help is to call 111 or go to your GP. However, if you're struggling to breathe or getting chest pain, then call 999 or go to hospital.

Image source, Getty Images

Many are asking if we would be safer wearing face masks, like we did during the Covid pandemic.

Surrey University lecturer in virology Lindsay Broadbent says:

It's very difficult to know how effective masks are at different viruses. It's a very hard question to study.

What we would say is that if you feel ill and you're going to be around people, particularly people that are more vulnerable, it may be worth following advice we've heard in previous years, from Covid.

Things like wearing a mask, good ventilation, washing your hands.

We're certainly not suggesting everyone go back to wearing a mask all of the time, but in certain situations they could be beneficial.

A lot of you have asked what type of strain is this flu virus. Here, Dr Lindsay Broadbent, a lecturer in virology, explains:

Flu is a very weird virus. It's divided into two main groups, As and Bs. And the one we're talking about this year is an 'A' type virus.

When we're talking about an 'A' type virus, it's those ones we hear about - like H1N1 and H3N2 - and the one that's predominantly affecting people this year is H3N2.

However, flu viruses can mutate all the time and they mutate into little groups called clades and subclades.

The reason why we're a bit worried about this virus is because it belongs to subclade K, so there are some mutations in that virus we're paying particularly close attention to - looking out for vaccine efficacy and antiviral treatments.

What we do know is that vaccines are still effective for H3N2.

Our experts have now finished answering your questions in our live stream - but stay with us as our team continues to bring you some of their advice around this flu season.

Image source, Getty Images

Adam in Salford says he hasn't been able to get an appointment for a flu vaccine. He asks if there is a shortage, and if that's not the case, why can't he get an appointment for a jab?

Catherine Burns, BBC health correspondent, answers:

The Department of Health and Social Care say there's no shortage, but some private pharmacies might be temporarily out of stock.

But, overall, there shouldn't be any kind of shortage.

Lisa Summers, BBC Scotland Health Correspondent:

It's a similar picture in Scotland. There are plenty of free NHS vaccines, extra drop-in clinics for people who are eligible for a free jab but haven't yet got an appointment.

But there's also private pharmacies that are short on supplies, or who have run out already.

You should always check if you're eligible for a free vaccine, since there's been some confusion with patients going to private pharmacies when they could get a jab for free on the NHS.

The first question in today's Q&A is whether the rise we are seeing in hospital admissions is down to Covid, the flu or the common cold?

Surrey University lecturer in virology Lindsay Broadbent responds:

A lot of respiratory viruses share very similar symptoms.

One thing that we can say about flu is that it tends to be a more severe illness for a lot of people.

If you're experiencing symptoms like a fever, aches and pains, then you're likely to have the flu, rather than a general common cold.

Have you had the flu or are you concerned around the latest surge in cases?

There's a lot to unpack - so over the next hour or so we'll be answering some of your questions.

A team of experts will begin picking through your queries from 14:30 GMT and you can follow along here or by pressing watch live above.

And if there's something you want answered, you can get in touch here.

We're now receiving more data from the UK Health Security Agency.

They say the positivity rate of influenza (flu) increased to 21% in the week ending 10 December - up from 17% last week.

The positivity rate is the percentage of tests for an illness that come back positive.

Children and young people aged 5 to 14 had the highest positivity rates at 45.9%.

That's an increase from 43.6% last week.

Simon Jones
BBC News

At the Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent, staff say this very much feels like the pandemic.

People are being asked to wear masks in all clinical settings, there’s a new emphasis on hand hygiene, and the hospital is under huge pressure due to flu cases.

Doctors are currently caring for 50 patients with the virus, and they saw more people with flu in the first week of December than in the whole of November (a trend we've seen elsewhere).

There is also the added challenge of some staff being off sick.

Fortunately though a bit of festive cheer is being brought by the Pets As Therapy dogs - who are visiting to cheer up some of hospital’s poorly patients.

Hugh Pym
Health editor

We visited Leicester Royal Infirmary over two days, the busiest emergency department in England. More than 900 patients are coming through the doors each day, many with respiratory conditions including flu.

Richard Mitchell has been the chief executive of University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust since 2021 - and has witnessed first-hand how it gets harder to cope with each winter that passes.

"We are already seeing very high levels of flu," he tells us. He expects numbers to climb into January. "That is one of the many things I am concerned about at the moment.

"At this point I feel we are working at the limits of our ability."

The trust has taken over a former care home in Leicester and has created extra beds for less seriously ill patients.

But managers are bracing for intense pressure in the new year, which is always the busiest time for the NHS.

Claire McAllister
BBC Scotland health reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Most Scottish health boards are now asking people to wear masks when they visit hospitals.

It comes as the number of people admitted to hospital because of the flu has risen for the sixth week in a row.

The rate has started to slow, but it is still adding pressure on the NHS Scotland at a busy time of year.

People are being urged to get vaccinated to protect against severe illness, but some community pharmacies have run out of private flu jabs and are struggling to replenish stocks.

Officials say there are still plenty of NHS supplies.