Flu patients in hospital up 55% from previous weekpublished at 09:49 GMT

09:49 GMTBreaking

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

There were an average of 2,660 patients a day in hospital
with flu in England last week – a rise of 55% on the week before.

NHS England said there were now enough flu patients to fill
more than three whole hospital trusts.

NHS chiefs said the total had already increased sharply
since the week covered by the data, up to last Sunday, with no peak in sight.

Projections have suggested there could be between 5,000 and
8,000 hospital cases by the end of this week. The highest ever recorded was
5,400.