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Winter pressures are already mounting on NHS staff ahead of December, with high levels of demand in hospitals due to a significant increase in cases of norovirus infection. Norovirus is a highly contagious virus which spreads through contaminated food, water or surfaces and causes vomiting and diarrhea. New NHS figures revealed that an average of 351 people were hospitalised with diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms every day last week in England, almost triple the number during the same period last winter, which was 126. The number of children in hospital with the virus was also higher last week (13) compared the same week last year (an average of just three), according to the weekly winter update published by the health service on 30 November.

Frontline doctors have sounded the alarm over the rising pressure on emergency departments in hospitals across the country as winter virus cases are "creeping up". An average of 234 people were in hospital with flu every day last week, a 53 per cent increase compared to the week before, according to new NHS data. Hospital norovirus cases increased by 15 per cent last week, with an average 406 people hospitalised each day, a 28 per cent increase from the same week last year. Measures to stop the spread of norovirus to other patients led to the closure of an average of 92 beds were closed each day last week.

NHS England is encouraging people to get their flu and Covid vaccines as hospitals dealt with the highest number of norovirus and flu cases this winter. An average of 688 patients with norovirus were in hospital each day last week, 75 per cent higher than the same time last year (393), according to the latest data from NHS England. The data also showed an average of 2,226 patients with flu in hospital each day last week, which is three-quarters higher than the same week last January (1,290). Compared to last month, there has been an 80 per cent increase in the daily count of norovirus cases and 70 per cent in flu cases. In the week ending Dec 31, NHSE recorded 1,312 hospital admissions due to norovirus and 376 and 1,312 flu cases each day.