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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Swine flu helpline gives NI jobs | Swine flu helpline gives NI jobs |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A number of jobs are to be created in Northern Ireland as part of a service in England to help thousands of swine flu sufferers. | A number of jobs are to be created in Northern Ireland as part of a service in England to help thousands of swine flu sufferers. |
| The government is using recruitment agencies and call-centre firms to provide around 2,000 UK operators for the National Pandemic Flu Service. | The government is using recruitment agencies and call-centre firms to provide around 2,000 UK operators for the National Pandemic Flu Service. |
| Jobs will be created at Teleperformance UK's centres in Newry and Bangor as a result. | Jobs will be created at Teleperformance UK's centres in Newry and Bangor as a result. |
| Swine flu sufferers will gain access to drugs without needing to consult a GP. | Swine flu sufferers will gain access to drugs without needing to consult a GP. |
| It has not been confirmed how many jobs will be created in Northern Ireland as a result of the phone and website service. | |
| It has been designed to relieve pressure on the NHS and will use a checklist to diagnose cases. | |
| Pregnant women, people with health conditions and the under-ones will still all be referred to GPs. | |
| The Department of Health has accepted that the service could be abused by people giving the answers they believe will give them access to anti-flu drugs. | |
| But Chief Medical Officer for England, Sir Liam Donaldson, said it was a price worth paying to help the NHS cope with its "biggest challenge in a generation". | |
| A spokesperson for the Department of Health in Northern Ireland said the service "would only be available to patients in England initially due to the increased pressures on primary care services there". | |
| "The current numbers of flu consultations in Northern Ireland remain relatively low and the present arrangements remain the best way to get treatment to all who need it quickly," the Department of Health NI spokesperson added. | |
| "Northern Ireland will be able to use the National Pandemic Flu Service if the need arises locally. This situation is being kept under constant review." | |
| The service will be staffed by 1,500 call handlers to start with, although there is already capacity for 2,000 people in the network of call centres. |