The National Health Service (NHS) has faced unprecedented pressure this winter, with last week marking the season's busiest period.
Hospital bed occupancy reached a record high of 97,636 last week and 96% of adult general and acute beds were filled.
Most notably, nearly one in seven beds were occupied by patients ready for discharge.
Despite a decrease in flu cases from their peak, hospitals remain under significant strain.
An emergency doctor in England cautioned that the situation is still dire, with flu rates 3.5 times higher than the previous year.
On average, 4,929 patients were hospitalised with flu each day last week.
The ongoing impact of winter viruses and cold weather has led to numerous hospitals declaring critical incidents.
On average, there were 1,112 patients hospitalised with Covid-19 daily, and norovirus cases have risen by 4% week-on-week and 44% year-on-year. The number of children hospitalised with RSV has also nearly doubled, compared to the same period last year.
In response to the high demand, the NHS has opened an additional 1,000 beds, compared to the same week in the previous year.
Despite the increased pressure, the time lost to ambulance handovers has decreased by almost 40% from the previous week.
Before the winter season, the NHS implemented measures to handle the increased demand, such as upgraded 24-hour coordination centres, frequent A&E users support, enhanced same-day emergency care, and expanded community care.
NHS teams have administered a total of 29 million Covid-19, flu, and RSV vaccines since the start of the autumn campaign.
While the national vaccination booking system has closed, eligible individuals are still encouraged to get vaccinated at Covid-19 walk-in sites or pharmacies offering the flu vaccine.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “We have ended the strikes, so for the first winter in three years, staff are on the front line, not the picket line, and introduced protected more patients with flu vaccinations than last year, but there is much more to do.”
