Flu drugs for 5,500 hotline users

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More than 5,500 people received anti-viral drugs for swine flu on the first day of England's National Pandemic Flu Service, the government has said.

The telephone hotline and website were launched so patients could obtain treatment without a GP's prescription.

The system was "working well", Health Secretary Andy Burnham said.

Sufferers are advised to select a "flu friend" to pick up medicine for them. Critics say the system is open to abuse and should be staffed by experts.

And the Conservatives have argued the service should have begun earlier, when a global pandemic was declared, as it was now "too little, too late".

Greater availability

There are now 1,031 locations across England where the drugs can be collected, up from 330 on Thursday, when the service began.

People who think they have swine flu can complete a questionnaire online or over the telephone.

Among the symptoms listed are fever or temperature over 38C or 100.4F, coupled with two of the following: unusual tiredness, headache, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath or cough, loss of appetite, aching muscles, diarrhoea or vomiting.

We're greatly encouraged that the flu service is doing the job intended, but we're also aware that the system is in its early days and we are keeping its operation under close review Andy BurnhamHealth Secretary

If patients are diagnosed with the virus, they are issued with a unique reference number which must be given when the drugs are collected.

However, patients are still being advised to contact GPs if they have serious underlying illnesses, are pregnant, have sick children aged under one, their condition suddenly worsens or continues to worsen after seven days - five for a child.

More than 100,000 people in the UK are estimated to have caught swine flu in the past week along, while 30 people have died after contracting the illness.

There was a huge rush to access the government website when it went online on Thursday, with reports of it receiving initially 2,600 hits a second, or 9.3m an hour.

More than 58,000 assessments were completed that day, 89% of them online.

'Under close review'

"These figures show that, despite an unprecedented demand for the National Pandemic Flu Service, the phone line and website are running well," said Health Secretary Andy Burnham.

New advertisements explain what anti-viral drugs are and how they can help

"People in need of anti-virals are able to get them quickly and conveniently using the new service and it is freeing up GPs to look after patients in risk groups as well as those with other illnesses.

"We're greatly encouraged that the flu service is doing the job intended, but we're also aware that the system is in its early days and we are keeping its operation under close review."

A £2.4m advertising campaign was launched on Saturday, directing people in England to the hotline number, which is 0800 1 513 100, and the website - www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu

The flu service is not covering the rest of the UK as Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have all experienced much less demand.