The number of people in hospital in England with flu remains at a record level for this time of year, according to new NHS figures.

The region is not as badly affected by flu as elsewhere, although the BBC finds flu-jab appointments are scarce.

The NHS has issued an "urgent' plea for people to get their flu jab as they cope with striking doctors during record 'tsunami' superflu numbers during the heart of the Christmas season

Hospitals in Britain are facing a "worst case scenario" from a wave of super flu, healthcare bosses warned on Thursday, as flu hospitalisations jumped 55% in a week.

The BBC visits Leicester Royal Infirmary to witness first-hand how it's coping with an early surge in cases of winter bugs.

Concerns about the spread of influenza are growing in the U.S. as the U.K. sees a flu surge in children and young adults.

NHS England » NHS urges patients to access care and get vaccinated, amid new doctors’ strike and high flu cases

The first NHS winter situation report of 2025 reveals that an average of 1,717 people were in hospital beds with flu each day last week, including 69 in critical care. By comparison, hospitals recorded 1,098 flu patients and 39 in intensive care at the same point in 2024.

The “subtype” of flu that is dominant this year, called influenza A/H3N2, has been around since 1968 and there have been over a dozen such changes in that time. By this definition, we see “super flu” every few years. The situation isn’t unprecedented – it falls within the range of what scientists would expect in a bad flu season.