Flu hospitalisations in England hit record high for December, up 55% in a week

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By Jane Kirby and Daniel Pye

The number of people in hospital in England with flu has reached a record level for this time of year, jumping by 55% in a week, NHS figures show.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said “there is a tidal wave of flu tearing through our hospitals” as figures showed an average of 2,660 flu patients in hospital each day last week, up from 1,717 the previous week.