QA Hospital treated more than 500 patients with flu

A report presented to Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust board meeting showed that, up to January 14, the hospital had to deal with 548 cases.

At its peak, there were 76 patients with flu requiring treatment at the same time.

As previously reported, an increase in patients with flu was one of the reasons QA Hospital, in Cosham, came under immense pressure over Christmas and new year.

Speaking at the meeting, held yesterday, medical director John Knighton said: ‘Portsmouth was at the front of the flu cases across the NHS. We hit our peak before the rest of the country and it was one of the worst places affected.

‘It causes problems because patients need to be kept in isolation and, when discharged, there needs to be a thorough clean and infection prevention programme.’

Mr Knighton added 70 per cent of staff had their flu vaccination, the highest the trust has seen.