Image source, Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Hospitals are still on "high alert" as a nasty strain of flu spreads through the UK, but infections appear to be levelling off.

An average of 3,140 patients were in hospital with flu in England last week, according to figures published today. Cases are up 18% compared to a week ago, but it's a smaller increase than the 55% jump seen the week before.

The rate of increase is also slowing in Wales, and the number of hospital flu cases in Scotland and Northern Ireland have dropped.

Despite this, it is still "too early to say if flu has peaked", according to the UK Health Security Agency. Experts are encouraging households to be vigilant as we enter the busy festive period, as flu season often extends well into the new year.

One GP tells us his clinic is being run at the "maximum", while two others tell us medical professionals themselves are being struck down with seasonal illnesses, adding to staffing pressures.

One of the most effective ways of protecting yourself against the virus is getting vaccinated - and asthma sufferer Scott Blackwell is urging people to "just get it done". He was left fighting for his life in the winter of 2019-20 after contracting flu.

We're ending our live coverage now, but you can read about how flu is impacting your local area in our news piece.

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, BBC / Maria Gorniok

I've just been hearing from GP trainee Maria Gorniok, who is working in Greater London. She tells me there are lots of viruses coming in at the moment, and "lots of people expecting antibiotics too, which is always a difficult conversation".

Antibiotics do not work on viral infections like colds and flu, and prescribing them inappropriately can contribute towards antibiotic resistance.

Staff sickness is another big issue for GP practices during the current flu surge.

"We have probably had at least two people off every week", Maria says. "I was off the week before last and it took me two weeks to feel normal again."

Image source, Getty Images

It is "encouraging" that flu levels are beginning to stabilise, but it's too early to say that they have peaked for the winter, warns the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The agency highlights that the "unpredictable" virus has previously peaked as late as February and that vaccination provides protection against severe illness or hospitalisation.

Dr Alex Allen, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, warns that while it is not too late to get vaccinated in time for the rest of winter, "time is running out".

"By continuing to take these precautions, we can all do our bit to reduce the chances of another spike,” Dr Allen adds.

Nabiha Ahmed
Live reporter

Image source, Abbie Brooks

For Dr Abbie Brooks, a GP partner in York, flu cases add to a system already under pressure.

"I no longer believe in winter being a peak for our surgery. Pressure is at a constant throughout the year," says Brooks, who works at the Priory Medical Group in York.

That said, she says her surgery sees "a different type of patient" over winter.

"The demand is high outside of winter...but winter means we have a different type of patient seeing us on top of the regular ones," she says.

"We are definitely seeing flu in both children and adults...in general what we'e giving them is lots of advice around self care rather than specific treatment," she says.

Flu jab uptake has been lower than previous years in the surgery - something Brooks encourages - which she suspects could contribute to patient cases.

The surgery staff are "just as likely - if not more - to get flu", says Brooks, because of their exposure. Mixed with the increase in demands, compromised staffing levels can add to the pressure.

Aileen Moynagh
Reporter, BBC News NI

Flu cases in Northern Ireland have decreased according to latest figures published by the Public Health Agency.

In the week up to 14 December 2025, 1,142 cases were reported - a slight fall from the week before (1228).

While children aged 5-14 continue to be the age group mainly catching the flu, it is those over 75 who are mainly being admitted to hospital.

Hospitalisations have fallen to 330 this week - down from 348.

There were seven confirmed outbreaks reported in care home settings - this has also fallen from 13 outbreaks the previous week.

The PHA said a total of 511,987 flu vaccines have been administered since the beginning of the 2025/25 programme to 14 December 2025. So far, 70% of people aged over 65 have received a vaccine, alongside 79% of care home residents

Half of primary school children and two-fifths of those in post primary have been vaccinated.

Just over a quarter (27.4%) of all trust-employed health and social care staff have taken the flu vaccine.

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

We now have data for how flu is spreading in the community as well as hospitals.

The UK Health Security Agency's latest weekly surveillance report says it appears to be stabilising.

The agency looks across a range of measures, including lab testing of cases in the community and GP attendances, and says the levels of flu were at a medium level last week.

This comes after hospital data published this morning by the NHS showed the rise in cases had started to slow.

This UKHSA data gives us an idea of what might happen with hospital cases next. While they all cover the same period of time, there's a lag in community cases translating in to hospital cases, as it takes a little while for people to get ill enough to seek hospital care.

But, as we have been saying all day, flu can be unpredictable. A lull can be followed by another rise in the coming weeks. However, this suggests we can expect the pressures on hospitals - at least from flu - to not get significantly worse over the festive period.

Jack Grey
Live reporter

Image source, Scott Blackwell

"Just get it done," is the flu jab advice from a man who was placed in a coma and almost died twice after catching the flu without a vaccine.

Scott Blackwell, who qualifies for the jab due to his asthma, says in the winter of 2019 he simply didn't get around to it.

"Sometimes life gets in the way, you put things on the back foot," says the 45-year-old from Wrexham, adding that he now considers it a "selfish" thing to have done.

After being found slumped over a radiator by a work colleague, he was rushed to hospital where it was discovered the flu virus led to his lungs failing completely, with oxygen no longer getting to his brain.

He was placed into an induced coma, hooked up to an artificial lung machine, and his family were called in to say their last goodbyes - on two separate occasions.

After two weeks in a coma followed by nine months recovery, which included learning to walk again, he is now urging everyone eligible to get vaccinated.

"Ignore the scaremongering and just get it done, that's my advice."

Image source, PA Media

The NHS in England says some hospitals are "on high alert" after flu cases in hospital rose by 18% last week (although the rate of increase is slowing).

Figures relating to flu cases in hospitals are collected in different ways in each UK nation. In England, it is the weekly number of beds occupied by patients with a laboratory confirmed flu case.

Our journalists have put together a tool for you to check if your local hospital has beds occupied by flu patients. You can use it by clicking the link below and entering your postcode.

• How are hospitals in your area affected?

This year's flu season started early. Hospitalisations are currently higher than at the same period in previous years, as the below chart shows.

Figures released this morning show an average of 3,140 patients were in hospital with flu in England last week, up from 2,660 cases the week before.

Despite the early start, it is still possible that cases will peak at a lower level than in previous years.

As we reported earlier, this week's 18% jump in hospitalisations is a smaller increase than the 55% jump seen the week before.

Nabiha Ahmed
Live reporter

Image source, Pritpal Ruprai

One GP based in west London says his practice has been preparing for the winter season since the summer.

"Over summer you usually get a quieter period with flu, but it was definitely always in the background," says Dr Pritpal Ruprai, a GP at Hammersmith surgery.

"It made me worry about what the winter would look like," he says.

His clinic has had to adjust by "preparing ahead of time", he says, which includes leaving more on-the-day appointments available for patients.

Regardless of the advanced preparation, Dr Ruprai says the "pressure is high, and requires flexibility" on the day.

"Even with the preparation, there is a feeling that we are being run at our maximum."

"We know GPs are the first port of call...we also inform patients of other avenues that could explore," he adds.

While many of the lessons learned during the Covid pandemic "still apply", three leading public health and social psychology experts say we are "consistently failing to follow them".

Writing in the British Medical Journal, external this week, professors Stephen Reicher, Martin McKee and Stephen Griffin added that we "trivialise seasonal influenza at our peril".

Three steps they recommend include getting vaccinated, staying away from others if you develop symptoms, and keeping rooms well ventilated.

"You won’t remember the flu waves of 2020/21 because there weren’t any. Covid measures effectively controlled the flu virus," they write.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting recently said there were no plans to ask the general public to wear masks. However, some members of the public are choosing to wear them in some scenarios.

The UK Health Security Agency says masks "continue to be a useful tool in limiting the spread respiratory viruses in some situations".

More than 500,000 flu vaccinations were delivered in the week ending 14 December, the latest figures show.

The NHS has administered more than 18 million flu jabs this year, including 60,000 to frontline healthcare workers.

That comes as NHS England issues an “urgent plea” for people to get vaccinated in time to protect themselves over the new year.

It warns that strike action by resident doctors, which started on Wednesday and will last until Monday, will add additional pressure to staff at a "challenging time" as the health service grapples with more people in hospital with flu at this time of year than ever before.

However, it adds that teams around the country are working "harder than ever" to minimise disruption for patients and ensure flu jabs can be provided.

“This is an urgent plea from the NHS – please come forward for your flu jab now and get protected," adds Duncan Burton, chief nursing officer for England.

As we've been reporting, the latest data suggests we may be over the worst of the flu in Scotland.

Dr Kim Marsh, Viral Respiratory Pathogens lead at Public Health Scotland, says: "The latest data suggest that flu activity in Scotland may be starting to decrease after several weeks of rapid increases.

"We have now seen reassuring declines across a range of demographics and systems, including reductions in case numbers and activity levels in younger age groups."

She says it is worth noting that although we may have passed this peak, in some flu seasons, there can be more than one wave of flu because different types of flu circulate at different times.

Dr Marsh adds: "Because of this, there’s still time to get protected if you’re eligible for a flu vaccine this winter. Find out how to get vaccinated at nhsinform.scot/flu, external"

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

While the increase in the number of people in hospital with flu has slowed, hospitals in England are under huge pressure.

Alongside the flu figures, NHS England has also released a host of other data.

Cases of the vomiting bug norovirus are up by a fifth, with 427 cases reported.

More than 94% of beds are also occupied - that is incredibly high - it used to be the case that the NHS aimed for 85% to give it leeway to clean beds as patients leave, isolate those with infectious diseases and ensure there are beds free for those who are being admitted.

This high bed occupancy rate is a major factor in the long-waits seen in A&E.

And as a reminder, this is the data for last week. This week, resident doctors - which make up half the medical workforce in hospitals - are on strike, further adding to the pressures.

Image source, Getty Images

Erica Witherington
Reporter

Image source, BBC / Hazel Shearing

In 20 years of being a head teacher, this has been the worst outbreak of flu Helen Stott can remember.

"It’s been horrendous," she tells us. "After October half term, it just swept through school, particularly the younger years."

Sixty-two per cent of the children at Allerton CE Primary have had time off ill this term - five ended up in hospital.

To tackle it, they’ve brought back Covid-style measures - hand washing five times a day, dousing every surface with disinfectant, even using a "fogging machine" to mist it into classrooms overnight.

For the parents, it’s been a struggle. One dad tells us both his boys had flu and he did too. They’re all "still recovering".

"It’s stressful", adds another mum, wondering if her child might be next: "Then it’s like, what do you do about childcare?"

Hazel Shearing
Education correspondent

Image source, BBC / Hazel Shearing

Handwashing drills and methodical classroom cleaning sessions were in full flow at a school we visited in Leeds this week, which has been battling the spread of flu this term. There were even a handful of facemasks on display.

If all that sounds familiar, it’s because these measures were common practice in schools during the Covid pandemic.

I was surprised to hear even pupils who were just six years old when Covid first hit saying this term felt like a throwback.

“It kind of still feels like Covid because there’s an area in the school with the hand sanitiser thing,” one girl said.

A head teachers' union told us schools do feel more prepared for illness outbreaks than they did before 2020.

“Many schools seem to have a number of strategies in place now, which are things that we learned during the Covid pandemic,” said Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.

So expect to see more of this in the future.

Elliot Burrin
Live reporter

Image source, Olivier Picard

Pharmacist and National Pharmacy Association chair Olivier Picard says he's still delivering 15 to 20 vaccines a day across his four branches in Berkshire.

This time of year, he says they'd usually "barely vaccinate anyone". He tells me the peak in demand is usually in October and November.

But this week, he ordered more stock "pretty much every day" and has people booked in for jabs up until Christmas Eve.

NHS England figures show that more than 500,000 flu vaccines were delivered in the week ending 14 December - a slight increase from around 477,000 this time last year.

In total, over 18 million vaccines have been administered this season - an uptick from the 17.8 million given out at the same point last year.

Picard says lots of his patients are getting vaccinated because they're worried about the so-called "super flu".

Worst of Scotland's flu season could be overpublished at 11:09 GMT 18 December 2025

11:09 GMT 18 December 2025

Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland health correspondent

It's early days, but today's data does suggest we may be over the worst of the flu this year in Scotland.

Cases started to rise steeply in November, but last week there was a more gradual climb before today - the first data showing both confirmed cases of flu and hospital admissions are in decline.

However, it comes as the number of flu deaths has increased to 67, more than double the week before.

Experts say there are many complicated factors that might explain why Scotland is ahead of other parts of the UK for flu this year.

It could be down to the vaccination programme starting in mid September, or possibly some acquired immunity from previous outbreaks. But they are hopeful that the trend will continue and numbers will keep declining.

Lower peak than last year expected in Walespublished at 10:58 GMT 18 December 2025

10:58 GMT 18 December 2025

Jenny Rees
Wales health correspondent

The latest figures in Wales show flu has been circulating at "medium intensity" over the second week of December.

But predictions from Public Health Wales are that over the next two weeks, hospital admissions with flu will be lower than last year.

Wales currently has 278 patients in hospital with confirmed flu - more than half of those are over the age of 80 - and five are in intensive care. That’s halved since last week.

GPs in the community are certainly still seeing flu cases rise in Wales, but the figures suggest the rate of increase is starting to slow.

Whether it’s reached the peak yet is impossible to know, especially as transmission can increase over Christmas.

• Read more here:Fewer Christmas hospital admissions expected as flu rate slows

Has there been scaremongering around flu?published at 10:48 GMT 18 December 2025

10:48 GMT 18 December 2025

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

Infectious disease experts have privately been questioning some of rhetoric around the what has been called "super flu".

Just two weeks ago, NHS England was predicting 5,000 to 8,000 cases in hospital in England by now. The figures just released show 3,140.

While the strain that is dominant - H3N2 - is one that tends to cause more serious illness and flu cases had started to rise early, the levels of serious illness (measured by the numbers in hospital) so far was nothing out of the ordinary.

The claim it was the highest for the time of year since records began was only because those records only started in 2021. And, as mentioned in a previous post, there were hints in the way flu was spreading in the community in early December that the surge in hospital cases was due to calm.

So why have NHS England and the government both issued such stark warnings in recent weeks - after all both Health Secretary Wes Streeting and the NHS medical director have used the term "super flu".

There was a clear public health reason to do so - to get jabs in arms as the virus was spreading quickly in the autumn.

But there has also been a political advantage to that messaging - it placed pressure on resident doctors who were voting last week on whether to continue with their strike action.