But some experts have questioned whether ‘super flu’ panic is justified
Zahra Khaliq News Reporter and Kirstie McCrum
14:51, 13 Dec 2025
There has been a huge spike in flu cases in UK hospitals(Image: Getty Images)
Hospitals are preparing for what some health officials are describing as a “tidal wave of flu,” amid concerns that a cocktail of post-Christmas demandcould wreak havoc on wards.
This follows NHS figures revealing a dramatic surge in the number of people requiring hospital treatment for the illness. The most recent data shows an average of 2,660 patients were being admitted to hospital with flu daily last week, marking a new record for flu admissions at this point in the year.
This represented a 55% jump from the week before. Emergency call-outs climbed to 48,814 compared to last year (802,525 versus 753,711).
Yesterday, the Irirh Mirror reported that flu cases and hospitalisations are “rising rapidly” across Ireland. The Health Service Executive said that between November 30 and December 6, there were 2,944 flu cases reported, up 49% from the previous week.
Back in the UK, as doctors strikes threaten to add more strain to the system, one hospital chief warned: “The flu predictions look worrying…”, according to the Health Service Journal. “If they come through as predicted the second week of January could be carnage – a perfect storm of flu, post Christmas surge and the lag impact of [strikes].”
Flu cases and hospitalisations are on the rise(Image: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, other public health experts are challenging whether the recent “super flu” alarm is warranted. On social media platform Bluesky, critics have slammed what they describe as exaggerated assertions of an “unprecedented wave of super flu leaving the NHS facing a worst-case scenario,” reports the Mirror.
According to Dave West, deputy editor at the Health Service Journal, numerous hospital chiefs indicate that whilst flu has emerged earlier than typical this year, the strain on hospitals remains within normal parameters.
“The national comparisons with early December in previous years is misleading given flu usually comes later than this,” he cited one source as stating.
A chart posted on Bluesky also questions the magnitude of the outbreak. Its creator, Stuart McDonald, an expert in public health and demographics, noted: “I might be wrong but my current view is that it’s overblown. Flu arrived early, which is why it’s breaking ‘time of year’ records, but it’s only in the medium threshold and could peak lower than last year, let alone 2022-23.”
Specialists suggest NHS England’s worries – the blend of flu, post-holiday admissions, and strike-related disruption – appears to centre more on timing rather than the seriousness of flu cases. This means early cases overlapping with post-Christmas admissions and strike-related staffing gaps could generate a demanding spell for hospitals.
As for Irish flu patients, in an new update yesterday, the HSE strongly advised anyone feeling unwell to stay at home.
It said: “Stay at home if you are unwell. Your friends, families and colleagues would thank you for doing the right thing. If you have symptoms, please do not visit vulnerable relatives/friends/neighbours and particularly do not visit care homes or hospitals for social visits when ill. If you are unwell and need medications, try to send someone else to collect your medicines from the pharmacy.”