Strep A concerns create ‘carnage’ and ‘eyewatering demand’ for the NHS

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy NHS 111, primary care and A&E services have suffered “carnage” following the recent outbreak in Strep A cases, The Independent has been told. One NHS source in London said their A&E had seen “eye-watering” levels of attendance with a record 200 children arriving at their trust’s A&E in a single day – double the number seen in 2019. And we don’t know that so the right thing to do is to raise awareness.” open image in gallery Muhammad Ibrahim Ali died of Strep A last month The paediatric consultant said invasive Strep A, which is causing the acute cases and deaths, is very difficult to diagnose because it can be in children who have a virus and may be recovering then suddenly get very sick. open image in gallery Hanna Roap was just seven years old when she died in Penarth, Wales He said: “We don’t know it’s not going to keep getting bigger, we’d expect the peak later in winter more towards the beginning of spring but we don’t know we’re not going to get that this time around and we’re not going to just get a bigger caseload over this space of 12 months.” Dr Elizabeth Whittaker, paediatric infectious diseases consultant, said: “Although we’re seeing more invasive group A Strep than usual at this time of year it’s still very rare if you take the whole population of England.