At England's busiest emergency department, all available beds are occupied by midday. The constant turnover at Leicester Royal Infirmary's acute unit sees cleaning staff stripping beds and disinfecting rooms the moment a patient leaves, as the next person is already waiting to be admitted. In a rare opportunity, the BBC observed the hospital's operations over two days, providing insight into its efforts to manage an unusually early wave of winter illnesses.
This flu season has arrived a month earlier than usual, with experts concerned about a potentially more severe strain of the virus, specifically the mutated H3N2. Hospitals like Leicester's are striving to handle the surge and prevent being overwhelmed.
The Royal Infirmary's staff are already feeling the strain due to the rising number of flu patients and other winter-related cases, compounded by existing pressures. They are apprehensive about managing the anticipated demands as winter progresses.
When 19-year-old Paige arrived at the hospital by ambulance, she was temporarily placed on a trolley since no beds were available. Suffering from flu and complicated by her type 1 diabetes causing dangerously high blood sugar, Paige was pale and shaking. Consultant Saad Jawaid noted that every cubicle was occupied, and more ambulances were arriving, necessitating the challenging task of reallocating bed spaces.
Paige received insulin and fluids to stabilize her sugar levels, with hopes her diabetes would soon be under control. However, her recovery from the flu may take longer. She reflected from a side room in the acute assessment unit, sharing that winter tends to be particularly tough on her health.
England is experiencing record high flu patient numbers in hospitals for this time of year, with NHS leaders warning of an unprecedented flu season. Last winter, Leicester's emergency department served over 1,000 patients daily at peak times. During the BBC's visit, 932 patients were seen in just one day, with expectations of rising numbers. Attendance is already up by 8% compared to the previous year, and the unit frequently faces a daily shortage of 50 to 70 beds. Currently, 64 beds at the Royal Infirmary are occupied by flu and other respiratory virus patients. One patient endured a 106-hour wait for a bed on a ward, while another, Gary, secured a bed after a 34-hour wait due to a stomach bug.
By late afternoon, the children's waiting area reached capacity, with parents comforting crying babies as they waited. Respiratory issues related to flu and bronchiolitisāa lung condition affecting childrenāare increasing rapidly. Within half an hour, 30 children arrived. Among them, Oscar, a five-month-old experiencing his first winter, was struggling to breathe and diagnosed with bronchiolitis after a few hours. His mother shared that his older sibling likely brought the virus home from school.
Richard Mitchell, serving as the chief executive of University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust since 2021, has witnessed the pressures emerging with this early flu season.