49 people in Ipswich Hospital with flu as Suffolk faces rise

There has been a "significant increase" in the number of people in a hospital with flu as cases across the East of England rise.

Figures from last week show across the eastern region there were an average of 130 bed-bound patients in an East of England hospital every day as a result of the illness - more than double the number last year (a 113% increase from 61 in the same week of 2024).

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) has confirmed 49 people are currently in Ipswich Hospital with flu.

Dr Angela Tillett, chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester and Ipswich hospitals, said: “We are seeing a significant increase in patients being admitted to our hospitals with flu and people of all ages are being affected.