Swine flu fears give NHS 24 its busiest four-day period ever Sensation Line Fitness

Swine flu fears give NHS 24 its busiest four-day period ever

January 3rd, 2011 Tyson Flood Leave a comment Go to comments

Calls about flu have helped health service helpline NHS 24 record its busiest-ever festive period, new figures have revealed.

More than 44,000 people contacted the service between Saturday, December 25, and Tuesday, December 28, when GP surgeries across Scotland were shut.

The surge in patients comes amid concern about the growing toll swine flu is taking this winter.

Latest figures show 83 confirmed cases in Scotland, including 11 people who needed treatment in intensive care and two patients who have died. A further update is expected today.

Figures for England and Wales just released by The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) revealed cases of flu rose by almost 50% last week. An RCGP spokesman said there had been a general increase in people falling ill across all age ranges, apart from children, with the middle-aged being particularly badly hit.

Experts believe the number of children catching flu could change when they return to school following the festive break.

Dr George Crooks, medical director of NHS 24, said flu was one of the main reasons patients were calling their service.

He said: “Many of the calls have related to seasonal illness, with cold and flu-type symp-toms, and we would advise people to follow the winter health advice and ensure they are stocked up on the necessary over-the-counter remedies, or have sought advice from pharmacists or their GP before surgeries close for four days over Hogmanay.”

He said Tuesday, December 28, was the busiest NHS 24 had experienced this festive season so far, with more than 14,500 calls from patients, and he praised the hard work of staff.

Dr Crooks added: “NHS 24 will again have hundreds of staff available over the New Year weekend and we expect to receive thousands of calls over the coming days.

“Over the whole period of the festive holidays, we have planned for call demand in excess of 130,000.”

Doctors have repeatedly urged those eligible for this season’s flu vaccine, including pregnant women, to come forward for vaccination. Before Christmas the British Medical Association said they were “deeply concerned” a major crisis is brewing, because too few patients have received the injection.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Harry Burns has also stressed the need for people over the age of 65, people with long- term health conditions such as diabetes and expectant mothers to seek protection from the virus.

He said: “We should not underestimate seasonal flu – it is a very serious illness. I would urge everyone who is entitled to receive a flu vaccine to get one as soon as possible.”

During the swine-flu pandemic last winter children aged six months to five years were offered the vaccine, but they are not included this winter.

This has sparked a row in Westminster where Labour has been accused of dangerous scaremongering.

The political row broke out after Shadow Health Secretary John Healey accused ministers of having “cancelled” the immunisation programme for the under-fives.

This provoked a furious response from the Coalition, which insisted it was the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which recommended that no specific programme was required this winter.

The Scottish Government also takes advice from the JCVI and decided not to cover healthy children this winter.

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