COVID-19 Coronavirus and other virus UK and World News Update 25th September 2026
Up until the 11th September 2026, in the UK, the provisional total number of people who have died from COVID was 252,934. This is likely to be an undercount.
COVID is still on the rise in the UK, Europe, US and elsewhere. Many areas did not have a Spring-Summer wave, so the expected Autumn-Winter wave is likely to be harder than last year as immunity has had more of a chance to wane. In the week to 16th September the UK reported 1,056 confirmed cases (up from 652 a week earlier), 19 deaths (up from 5 a week earlier), and 261 people hospitalised.
The UK's shortage of nurses is far worse than previously thought, according to a report released this week by the Royal College of Nursing.
We are short 55,000 registered nurses, double the number of vacancies being advertised.
Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive:
“When you have too few registered nurses, you get longer hospital stays, worse outcomes and more pressure on an already burned out and exhausted workforce."
Don't we know it. The cause appears to be lack of funding, and a lot of folk online are saying that recently qualified nurses are struggling to find positions, despite the urgent need for more staff.
