NHS England medical director Prof Sir Stephen Powis said: “It is concerning to see the number of patients with Norovirus hit an all-time high and there is no let up for hospital staff who are working tirelessly to treat more than a thousand patients each day with the horrible bug, on top of other winter viruses.

“To help stop the spread of Norovirus, it is important to remember to wash your hands frequently with soap and water and avoid mixing with other people until you have not had symptoms for two days.”

Most healthy people recover from Norovirus in a few days, but it can cause serious problems in vulnerable people and young children.

One problem is that it spreads very easily – with just a few viral particles needed to infect someone – for example through close contact with someone who has the virus, or by eating food prepared by someone with it.

It can also stick around on surfaces so it is thought likely some of the cases will be patients who have caught it in hospital.