Responding to comments made by Dr Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency on the BBC's Sunday Morning programme on COVID-19 and seasonal flu, the interim chief executive of NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery said:

"Trust leaders know they are in for a bumpy ride over the coming months as they tackle new and unpredictable variants of COVID-19 alongside grappling with seasonal flu pressures which may hit us earlier than usual this year.

"The policy of living with COVID-19 does not mean COVID-19 has gone away. The latest data shows we cannot afford to be complacent with currently small but concerning increases over the past week in the number of patients both being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and those needing a ventilator. Warnings from Dr Jenny Harries today that community infection rates and hospital admissions are expected to rise further is concerning.

"Waves of COVID-19 and flu will put additional pressure on stretched NHS staff and services and their efforts to tackle waiting lists, deliver efficiencies and transform the NHS, as well as on our hard-pressed colleagues in social care."