Flu cases in hospital reached 3,140 by the end of last week - the highest ever for this time of year and up 18% on the week before.

Streeting said: ‘The BMA's regrettable decision to pursue strike action at this critical moment is piling on the pressure, but the NHS team has responded brilliantly to keep the show on the road. Our entire focus is on keeping patients safe through the strikes and this peak period for the NHS.'

The latest NHSE data shows the number of patients in hospital with norovirus and the diarrhoea and vomiting bug is also on the rise, with 427 cases in hospital each day last week – up a fifth (20%) on the week before.

There is evidence that the rise in flu cases is slowing, however, with hospital cases in the North West down by 4% over the past week. High increases continue to be seen in the East of England (39%) and the South West (40%), however, with 94.2% of hospital beds occupied each day last week nationally.

Staff absence is also up over 1,100 in a week, and up 4,500 or 9% on the same week two years ago.

Despite the pressure, average ambulance handover times were almost eight minutes quicker than the same week last year.

Not out of the woods

Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS national medical director said: ‘While some parts of the country will be breathing a sigh of relief with flu cases not rising as quickly as feared, we are nowhere near out of the woods yet.

‘Combined with the impact of strikes, a stream of winter viruses means many hospitals will be on high alert in the days ahead.

‘But it remains vital that people continue to come forward for NHS care as normal.'

Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King's Fund, said the NHS was in a ‘worst case scenario', adding a ‘better-functioning social care system' was essential to avoiding recurring winter crises.

Rory Deighton, acute and community care director at the NHS Confederation, warned: ‘We do not yet know when or at what level flu will peak, and the impact of the current round of strikes on services could continue into the new year as appointments are rebooked and staff covering industrial action take time off.'

Tim Gardner, assistant director of policy at The Health Foundation, said: ‘NHS staff are working tirelessly under extremely challenging conditions. However, an annual winter crisis doesn't have to be inevitable. These challenges are primarily down to a lack of resilience in the health service, which requires long-term investment to address the underlying causes.'