Searches for NHS advice on norovirus topped one million this winter as NHS staff managed a quad-demic of viruses, according to new NHS data.
There have been 1,021,436 visits to the norovirus advice in the past 16 weeks (2 December to 23 March) – making it the most visited condition on the NHS website this winter.
The surge in web page visits came as the NHS managed record levels of norovirus cases in hospitals and compares to 729,822 visits to the advice on the bug over the same period last winter.
The number of visits to the flu page on the NHS website also increased by half – from 471,158 last winter to 703,794 since the start of December
The webpage on respiratory syncytial virus / RSV became one of the most viewed pages this winter with 614,214 visits after the NHS started vaccinating people against the virus for the first time in its history.
RSV spreads all year round, but cases tend to increase in winter – affecting the airways and lungs. For older adults, this can lead to severe lung infections like pneumonia or other life-threatening conditions.
Other pages with a high number of visits this winter include chest infection with 800,772, fever in children with 676,436, sinusitis with 595,624, pneumonia with 589,614 and shingles with 582,572 visits.
Meanwhile visits to the COVID-19 symptoms page fell by 58% with 646,064 views compared to over 1.5 million during the previous winter.
Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said: “The NHS has had an incredibly busy winter with norovirus cases in hospital reaching a record high, but many people have treated the virus at home.
“The NHS website is fantastic resource, and these latest statistics show just how important it is for people seeking instant advice about their health – with over one million visits to the page on norovirus alone this winter.
“We also saw a surge in visits to the NHS advice on flu, chickenpox and RSV – following the introduction of the RSV vaccine for the first time on the NHS.
“I hope millions of people will continue to use the NHS website throughout 2025 to help them and their families stay as healthy as possible.”
To help stop the spread of norovirus it is important to wash your hands frequently with soap and water, and if you’re unwell to avoid mixing with other people until you have not had symptoms for two days. Using bleach-based products to clean contaminated surfaces will also help stop the virus spreading.
If you or your child have norovirus you can usually treat it at home and will start to feel better in 2 to 3 days. You should stay at home, get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids such as water or squash.
The NHS website, which is managed by NHS England, is the UK’s biggest health website with around 701 million visits throughout 2024 from people seeking information and advice.
It includes over 4,000 pages and provides information about 990 medical conditions. Other health services available on the website include applying for a free UK Global Health Insurance Card for healthcare cover abroad and finding a finding a GP.
