Sunday 11 January 2026

New and updated items follow first.

Flu is rising again. NHS said that Christmas gatherings may have caused a resurgence in flu and other winter viruses. The average number of hospital patients with flu was 2,924 in week to 4 January, a rise of 9% on the previous week after falls the previous fortnight. There is the present amber cold health warning. The cold snap, winter viruses, more slips and falls and people struggling with respiratory conditions, flu, breathlessness and wheezing are all making services “extremely busy”. Patients in hospital with Covid and Norovirus have also increased.

Risky A&E make-shift areas and corridor care, which are becoming the norm in hospitals across the country, are a big concern. The NHS is coping better overall but these fundamental recurring issues need to be addressed to stop this being an annual norm.

Latest reports; Week 1 29 December 2025 – 4 January 2026:

• Flu activity showed mixed trends and is circulating at medium levels
• COVID-19 activity showed mixed trends and is circulating at baseline levels.  
• respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) showed mixed trends and is circulating at medium levels. 
• Norovirus has increased recently but remains at expected levels; the highest rates are now in children and people 65 years old and over.

New ambulances deployed to boost NHS winter response – More than 500 new ambulances will be deployed to cut response times for patients in every region.

Local data before Christmas showed 40 out of 1,850 beds (2.1%) were occupied by flu patients in our Basildon, Chelmsford & Southend Hospitals, double the previous week. According to the top item this will now have increased. The returns to work and education, staff sickness and travel delays won’t help either.

The key message from all authorities is: Everyone eligible get your flu jab and only attend A&E in an emergency. This year’s version of flu is different. We have less immunity, so the spread is greater. Children and young people are most affected. The flu vaccine is free on the NHS for those over 65-years-old, young children, pregnant women, those with certain health conditions, carers, and front-line health and social care workers. People in other groups can get the same vaccine for a fee from local pharmacists.

The NHS is now rolling out the addition of a vaccine to the routine childhood programme to protect against chickenpox. The combined MMRV vaccination means many thousands of children will gain additional protection against chickenpox for the first time in the UK. Just 2 doses of this vaccine will provide long-lasting protection against 4 serious diseases: measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox (also known as varicella).

Parents and guardians are urged to check your children’s vaccination records. Almost one in five children starting primary school are not fully vaccinated against serious illnesses such as measles and polio. Ensuring vaccinations are up to date is a priority. Vaccines are free on the NHS, with catch-up appointments available through GPs and school programmes.

The Government has accepted the advice of the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) for the Spring 2026 Covid-19 vaccination programme. This spring, a COVID-19 vaccine will be offered to those in the population most vulnerable to serious outcomes from COVID-19 and who are therefore most likely to benefit from vaccination. Vaccination will be offered in England in spring 2026 to: 

• adults aged 75 and over 
• residents in care homes for older people 
• individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed.

This eligibility criteria is the same as in Spring 2025 and Spring 2024. It is similar to Spring 2023 and Spring 2022, with the addition of the younger age groups.

Resident Doctors’ went on strike between 17-21 December. Data on the impact is awaited.  “Patients must be able to trust medical professionals with their lives and health. To justify that trust [they] must make the care of patients their first concern, and meet the standards expected of them…. .” Is striking in keeping with that duty? With financial constraints, long waiting times for treatments, and patients suffering the consequences of these strikes, do they have public support?

It’s terrible that the NHS had to publish updated Principles for providing patient care in corridors! “The use of corridor care is never acceptable and must be avoided when caring for patient groups including:

• children
• mental health patients
• patients with learning disabilities, neurodivergence or autistic patients
• patients with physical disabilities
• patients who have dementia, confusion or delirium
• patients who are confirmed or suspected of being infectious
• patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding
• patients who are severely frail
• patients who are at end of life.

Nevertheless, recent reports suggest patients are being given end-of-life care in A&E corridors. Hospices are struggling to provide beds and it’s unclear if sufficient end-of-life community support is available. Is this acceptable? Meanwhile, NHS bosses urge patients not to clog up A&E with everyday niggles. Local research highlights:

• 42% of people who visited A&E for a non-emergency said they went because they believed they would be seen faster.
• 22% later realised they could have been treated by another NHS service such as a pharmacy, NHS 111 or their GP practice.
• 43% of people say they’ve had a winter illness recently. Over half chose to manage at home, while a quarter sought advice from their pharmacy.

We continue to monitor progress after the recent CQC report that the leadership of our local hospitals’ was inadequate. Our weekly newsletter includes everything we’ve published in the previous 7-days. Libraries provide online services and help with internet access. For welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com or leave a voicemail on 01245 322079.