Many fear it will be unable to cope with the expected level of illness. Last winter's bout brought the NHS to a near standstill - and last January, there were reports of less than 30 emergency beds across the country. But the problem is the lack of beds as opposed to the people who fill them. Hospitals operate close to full capacity. It sounds like a perpetual crisis.
Old people struggle in winter.
The poorest cannot afford to adequately heat their homes and even those with a higher standard of living are susceptible to flu, which can prove fatal in the elderly and infirm. The government has offered a flu vaccine to all people aged 65-plus and to those with underlying conditions such as respiratory, heart and kidney disease. Critics claim that the health service is hampered by an inefficient internal market. But the NHS is also held back by a lack of cooperation with other care organisations. For example, some elderly patients who medically fit for discharge stay in hospital beds longer than they need because there is a lack of funding for residential care.