A&E departments and ambulance services are under pressure (Image: Getty Images)

The NHS is bracing for a "worst-case scenario" this December as new data reveals hospital admissions due to "superflu" have rocketed by more than half in just a week. Health leaders report that an average of 2,660 patients per day were hospitalised with the flu last week - a 55 per cent increase from the previous week.

This marks a record high for this period of the year, with daily flu patient numbers sufficient to occupy more than three entire hospitals. Given that the data trails slightly behind real-time figures, the NHS cautions that the total number of hospitalisations has already seen a significant rise since then, with no sign of a peak on the horizon. This follows warnings from officials about a

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