NHS bosses are "really nervous" about a surge in tourists in holiday hotspots this summer as more people opt for staycations then going abroad.
The NHS is currently dealing with a huge patient backlog and long waiting lists that have built up during the pandemic.
On top of this, it is bracing for a possible surge in cases due to the Indian variant strain.
Popular holiday hotspots are expected to see a rise in staycation visitors which is now worrying hospital bosses who are struggling to cope with the backlog.
NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, has issued a warning to health trusts in tourism hotspots that they could struggle to cope.
Chief executive Chris Hopson said he was concerned about the transmissibility of the B1617.2 Indian variant and the large number of people who have still to receive a jab.
Speaking to the Independent, he warned that though hospitals wouldn't be overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases in the same way as they were last year, they were already stretched due to dealing with the backlog of cases built up during the pandemic.
Rising numbers of coronavirus patients will cause issues in some hospitals which are still operating under reduced capacity due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Mr Hopson said: "Significant numbers of Covid-19 hospital inpatients will adversely impact care backlog recovery.
"The current degree of pressure on hospitals is worrying especially since we saw clear summer demand surges in the two years before Covid-19.
"But if, as evidence above suggests, success of (the) vaccination campaign means much lower levels of hospitalisation, serious illness and mortality, even with (the) new variant, that is very significant and important.
“This means there is a difficult decision to make for June 21."
Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi earlier said the Government would analyse the latest data on June 14 before deciding whether to proceed the following week.
