Sharp rise in flu cases amid vaccine concerns
There was a sharp rise in flu cases in Staffordshire in the run-up to Christmas, amid concern over the lack of elderly and vulnerable people getting vaccinated.
More than 500 people were admitted to the county's two main hospitals for flu during December, compared to just 10 cases in October.
The total for December was almost double that of 12 months earlier, a new NHS report revealed.
Health experts have urged people classed as being the most vulnerable to ensure they take up the offer of a free jab to protect against the illness which can be deadly to those who are elderly or have health problems.
Figures showed there were 420 admissions to Royal Stoke Hospital and 64 to Stafford's County Hospital during December. There were 107 cases in November and just six at County Hospital.
As well as risks to patients, the illness has also added to pressure at the hospitals. Royal Stoke's four-hour A&E performance plummeted to a shockingly-low 57 per cent in November. At Stafford it was 87.5 per cent. The national target is 95 per cent.
Bosses at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust, which runs both hospitals, said Staffordshire had "followed the pattern" seen in Australia, which saw a high number of flu cases during its winter.
Figures from NHS England revealed 118,000 people in Staffordshire eligible for flu vaccines - 38 per cent - have not taken them up, while in the Black Country, more than 181,000 people have not had the jab.
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer at NHS England, said: “The winter flu season has started early in the UK and it is important that everyone who is eligible gets the flu jab from their GP or pharmacist. The vaccine is the best defence against flu whilst practising sensible hygiene can reduce the spread of flu.”
