Influenza: Weather
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what measures his Department are taking to ensure the NHS is appropriately prepared for winter flu-related admissions in 2025 and early 2026.
Answered by Karin Smyth
We have done more than ever to prepare for this winter, including stress testing winter plans, making sure community teams have the vaccines they need, and identifying the patients who are most vulnerable in winter. We are asking trusts to place a special focus on reducing bed occupancy ahead of Christmas, creating additional capacity, and improving patient flow.
Flu is a recurring pressure that the National Health Service faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation. This year we have:
- expanded the use of the National Booking Service for flu vaccination;
- carried out a major campaign aimed at eligible people, encouraging them to take up their vaccinations; and
- developed the “flu walk-in finder” so that, from October 2025, patients can easily look up when they can walk into a community pharmacy to get a vaccination.
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