Is influenza causing more problems than normal this year and what else is behind pressures on the NHS?

At least a dozen hospitals have declared critical incidents as the rise in flu admissions and respiratory illnesses has led to “exceptionally high demands”.

Health services issue critical incident declarations when their services become so overwhelmed they struggle to deliver critical services, risking patient safety. Hospitals in Birmingham, Cornwall, Hampshire, Liverpool, Northamptonshire and Plymouth are among those affected, after figures reveal the number of people admitted to hospital in England with flu quadrupled last month.