NHS England warned yesterday of a “tidal wave of flu hitting hospitals” after the number of beds occupied by flu patients rose by 70 per cent in a week. 

Experts warned that hospitals were running “red hot” after A&Es had their busiest November on record.

They predicted that this winter could be “one of the worst the NHS has faced.”

A daily average of 1,861 flu patients were in England’s hospitals last week, including 66 in critical care beds, NHS figures show.

This is up from 1,099 patients the previous week, when 39 were in critical care and four times the figure from last year.

NHS England said norovirus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases were also on the rise.

Royal College of Surgeons of England vice-president Professor Frank Smith said: “While waiting lists are reducing, they are not coming down fast enough to guarantee the government will meet its milestone on the 18-week target within this parliament.

“We need a clear road map, which outlines annual targets for reducing waits of over a year and the total waiting list.”

Patricia Marquis of the Royal College of Nursing added: “The NHS is woefully underprepared for the crisis flooding into its wards this winter.”