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Medics are to “fast-track” diagnoses of swine flu after NHS Direct was swamped with 6,500 calls in two days.
Cases in London and the West Midlands will now be diagnosed on the spot rather than being confirmed by laboratory results.
NHS Direct is now dealing with emergency cases only and is urging people to check symptoms on www.nhs.uk before calling. So far, 3,597 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in Britain.
Reader views (1)
Half the population doesn't have internet access at home. How are they going to check nhs.uk, especially if they're developing flu and really shouldn't go out (to infect others, or to cause a panic by fainting)?
Wouldn't it be more sensible for NHS direct to divert people to a recorded flu advice line in the first instance, with a number to call back to if they still think they have a serious medical issue after listening to the advice?
And perhaps it's time to downgrade the flu alert. After 4000+ explicitly diagnosed cases we can now be pretty sure it's no worse than the flus that go around every winter. Shouldn't people now be asked to deal with presumed swine flu the same way - go to bed, wait to get better, contact the NHS only if it gets serious?
- Nigel, London
