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Swine flu hitting Islington harder than its neighbours
By ED KEMP
Wednesday, 19 January, 2011
13:00 PM

SWINE flu rates in Islington are running at more than double those in neighbouring Haringey and significantly higher than in Camden, according to information from GPs.

Latest figures show the number of reported cases per 100,000 people during the five weeks between December 6 last year and January 9 this year was consistently higher in Islington than the boroughs on its border.

Swine flu rates peaked in the week leading up to Christmas, when the rate per 100,000 people in Islington was 168.1 – around 330 cases – compared to a rate of 106.6 in Camden and 58.8 in Haringey.

In total, in the period between December 6 and January 3, GPs in Islington reported around 1,000 cases of swine flu.

Islington also experienced consistently higher rates of the flu than its neighbours during the last major outbreak in July 2009.

A spokeswoman for NHS Islington said: “Each year Islington GPs record higher levels of flu symptoms than other boroughs. This is mainly due to the commitment of our GPs and nurses in raising awareness about flu.

“We are also committed to ensuring all residents are aware of the seasonal flu jab, particularly with at risk patient groups.

“The cycle of success of these communications means that our patients are reporting to their GP if they are suffering from flu, rather than going to A&E.”

She also said that Islington’s popularity with visitors contributes to the spread of the virus. “It should be noted that Islington is an extremely diverse borough with lots of population mix and movement,” said the spokeswoman.

“Like other inner city boroughs this raises the opportunity for spread of viruses, such as seasonal flu. We would continue to encourage all of our residents, if they are concerned they are suffering from flu-like symptoms, or for a family or friend, they should call their local GP.”

All information on seasonal flu and the flu vaccine can be found at http://www.islington.nhs.uk /flu.

HARROW and Brent hospitals have admitted as many as 18 people suffering from Swine Flu in the past two months.

Since mid-November North West London Hospitals NHS Trust, which looks after Northwick Park Hospital and Central Middlesex Hospital, has seen around 32 suspected cases of Swine Flu, with 18 of them confirmed as having the H1N1 virus that hit the headlines last year.

Fiona Coogan, director of infection control and prevention at the trust said however that the hospitals are fully prepared to deal with the increase in flu patients.
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Swine flu numbers are climbing again even though medical experts said they had plateaued after Christmas.

The number of people in the South Central strategic health authority seeing their GP with flu-like symptoms was 99.5 per 100,000 for the week ending Thursday last week.

This is a sharp rise from 66 consultations per 100,000 people the week before, when schools and doctors surgeries reopened after the festive season.
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20 January 2011 Last updated at 02:29

Health reporter, BBC News

Doctors say any changes to management of the flu vaccination campaign are not necessary.

GPs face losing control of managing the flu vaccine programme following supply problems in England this winter, the government's head of immunisation says.

There is a "pretty compelling" case for the government taking charge of ordering and supplying jabs, said Professor David Salisbury.

GPs ran out of seasonal flu jabs earlier this month, forcing ministers to use swine flu vaccine stockpiles.

The BMA said changing the "complex and intense" programme would not work.

Most vaccines, including the entire childhood immunisation programme, are ordered by the Department of Health for the whole of the UK.

Flu is one of the few exceptions, with GPs in England ordering jabs direct from manufacturers and similar systems operating elsewhere in the UK.

Prof Salisbury said this was a "historic hangover" that now needed addressing.

He is leading a review into what happened this winter with the shortages. Even though there is plenty of the 2009 pandemic vaccine left it does not protect patients against all the strains of flu circulating.

In an interview with the BBC News website, Prof Salisbury said: "Certainly this winter we have seen an unsatisfactory position. That is a situation that we don't want to see happen again.

"We compare that with the routine childhood immunisation programme where we have not had to suspend part of the programme because of shortage of vaccine for at least a decade. This argues that we do need to look very carefully at whether flu vaccine supply can be done on a more dependable basis."

The government has set up a tailored IT system that allows officials to supply vaccines to the NHS within hours of orders coming in. Those vaccines can then be tracked and there is an up-to-date record of how many are left in the system.

But Prof Salisbury said any move to take ordering away from GPs would take time.

Doctors get paid for running the vaccine programme and Prof Salisbury conceded the payment issues would need resolving. He said the government would be seeking talks soon.

He suggested as an interim measure for next winter, the government in England may purchase an emergency stockpile as happens in Scotland.

He also suggested the shortages that were reported could have been down to GPs giving the vaccine to those who were not in high risk groups.

However, he added it would be wrong to blame anyone at the moment as the issue needed looking at thoroughly.

But the British Medical Association rejected the suggestions.

Dr Richard Vautrey, deputy chairman of the BMA's GPs' committee, said he did not believe doctors had relaxed restrictions.

He said the shortage was more likely to be caused by the late surge and the fact that healthy pregnant women had been added to the risk groups fairly late on.

On the issue of handing control of the vaccination campaign to the government, he said: "I don't think a wholesale change like this would work. The flu programme is complex and intense as we have a lot of people coming for immunisation at once.

"That does not happen with childhood vaccines and so I am not sure a central system could cope with the volume of vaccine GPs need almost all at once.

"What we need is for an emergency stock to be held, perhaps regionally, in case doctors do run out."

Prof Salisbury also re-entered the debate about vaccinating healthy children - there have been calls for this to happen after a number of children died or became seriously ill this winter.

Current vaccination policy is based on immunising those most at risk of getting seriously ill. But he said there was "merit" in also vaccinating those who were the most likely to spread the disease - children - as a way of curbing the scale of future outbreaks.

He said this was a matter for the government's independent expert body, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, to consider and it needed to be proved cost-effective, but he said in his personal view it was an "attractive concept".

COTSWOLD mother-of-three Tracy Watkins, who died earlier this month, was suffering from influenza B and not swine flu, it has been revealed.

Tracy, aged 47, of Over Norton near Chipping Norton, died at the Horton Hospital in Banbury on Saturday, January 8, less than 24 hours after becoming ill. At a meeting at the Horton Hospital last week, husband Richard, 47, was informed Tracy had the influenza type B virus, not the type A swine flu virus as thought initially. Matters were complicated by an infection, which caused Tracy’s death.
Tributes to Tracy, who ran public relations company Byline Communications, were paid this week.

Simon Duffy, headteacher of Chipping Norton School, said: “She was great fun and incredibly bright and energetic. She was always willing to give you her time, always smiling, always positive.”

Hugh Phillimore, organiser of the Cornbury Festival, said: “She was a wonderful friend and colleague and we miss her very much.”

A cremation service for family members is being held next week followed by a thanksgiving service at St Michael and All Angels Church in Great Tew. Flowers can be sent in advance to funeral directors A L Sole & Son, of Bidston Close, Chipping Norton, and donations to Helen & Douglas House, which provides hospice care for children and young adults, website helenanddouglas.org.uk.

Richard said the couple’s “three lovely children”, Meredith, 14, Philippa, 10, and Jonnie, eight, would all miss their mum, as would he.

ROUTINE surgical operations have resumed at St Helens and Whiston Hospitals as the NHS continues to respond to the winter flu crisis.

Elective procedures were postponed last week following a directive by regional health bosses to relieve pressure at overstretched hospitals.

It resulted in surgical wards being closed at St Helens and staff switching shifts to Whiston, to bolster resources.

The measures were relaxed this week but health chiefs at regional level continue to block the Star’s attempts to learn how many people locally have either died or are critically ill from swine flu. Before the turn of the year it was revealed three patients had died from the illness at Whiston and other patients were in critical care.

Since then, health bosses have refused to answer the Star’s questions about the death toll. Unconfirmed reports, regionally, state that at least 12 people have died from swine flu on Merseyside.

It is believed the NHS has enforced a blackout on releasing figures to the local press in case they give rise to panic.

The Star, meanwhile, has been contacted by sources who have raised concerns that theatre nurses have been working on general wards.

Whiston Hospital responded by saying all staff have been qualified to carry out tasks asked of them.

In a statement St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: “The Trust is resuming all elective surgical procedures this week.

“As part of the contingency plans to meet the exceptionally high demand on our services, the Trust took the necessary step of utilising the expertise and flexibility of its workforce across both hospital sites.

“This was to ensure that staff with appropriate skills were deployed where the demand was greatest to help support other colleagues caring for patients.

“The dedication and commitment demonstrated by our staff has been highly commendable. The Trust would like to thank all its staff for their support throughout this extremely busy period.”

FLU is on the wane in Wales with the number of people becoming ill falling sharply, figures reveal.

The flu consultation rate has almost halved in the space of a week but experts have warned Welsh hospitals will continue to be under pressure for another fortnight.

And people could still fall ill as flu is expected to continue circulating in the community until early February, it has been predicted.

A report published by Public Health Wales yesterday shows the flu GP consultation rate stands at 51.5 per 100,000, down from a seasonal – and decade – high of 93.

Dr Meirion Evans, a regional epidemiologist at Public Health Wales, last night said that although flu had peaked and was now declining, he expected to continue seeing cases for up to three weeks.

“We had perhaps a rather less sharp peak than we thought as consultations may have fallen off during the Christmas and New Year period.

“But these figures are a sure sign that flu rates are now on the decline and that, therefore, seasonal flu is on the wane.

“There may still be people who will catch flu as flu is still circulating in the community and that’s likely to continue for the next two to three weeks.

“It does suggest that, as far as flu in the community is concerned, we are over the worst of it as it’s very unusual to see flu going back up again.

“Hospitals will continue to be under pressure for a week or two yet because there’s a bit of a time lag between rates falling in the community and the impact reducing in hospitals.”

The report also shows that calls about flu to the NHS Direct Wales helpline have also fallen sharply, by almost a fifth, over the course of the past week.

Dr Evans said this year’s flu season had hit Wales slightly earlier than normal and was the worst in a decade – the flu consultation rate peaked last week.

The majority of people have caught the H1N1 swine flu virus, which was responsible for the 2009 pandemic.

The Public Health Wales figures show that young people – 15 to 24-year-olds – continue to be hardest hit by the virus.

It also emerged last night there have been isolated and sporadic cases of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu in Wales, although there has been no evidence of person-to-person spread.

The first ever outbreak of this resistant form of swine flu was identified in patients being treated in the haematology unit at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

The weekly Public Health Wales report also reveals the number of people who have had the flu jab has also increased.

Take-up among the over-65s stood at 62.4%; 45.4% for those under 65 who have a long-term health problem and at 34.4% for otherwise healthy pregnant women.
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20/01/2011
Pharmacy reports ongoing panic over flu vaccine, despite 'normal' flu levels
Zoe Smeaton

The flu season has continued to prove a tricky one for community pharmacists with almost a third reporting this week that patients have been panicking and even more struggling to obtain stocks.

Despite some local supply issues, the Department of Health’s vaccination chief David Salisbury said there was “no reason” patients in at-risk groups should be refused NHS vaccinations because of supply problems.

And although overall flu activity increased in the week to January 13, the department said the rate of flu-like symptoms remained within the normal range for a winter flu season.

However, an online C+D poll revealed 29 per cent of readers had patients panicking about flu and 37 per cent said they had struggled to get stock. The finding followed AAH’s announcement that it had run out of flu vaccine. Alliance Healthcare said it was in discussions with the DH and manufacturers “regarding acquiring further stock for pharmacy, should it be required”.

The DH continues to manage flu vaccination stock through GPs and PCTs, which have ordered 200,000 additional doses of swine flu vaccine Pandemrix from NHS stockpiles.

Martin Sawer, executive director of the British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers, confirmed some members had been contacted by PCTs and GPs who had run out of vaccine. But he stressed that the stock held by wholesalers in any flu season was relatively tiny.

A DEVOTED carer has told how he feels “lost” after his beloved partner died after contracting swine flu.

Teessider Sharon Murdoch was admitted to the University Hospital of Hartlepool on Christmas Day after complaining of a chesty cough.

But the 46-year-old, who had devoted her life to volunteering for charities including cerebral palsy causes and Shopmobility, lost her battle with the H1N1 flu virus on January 4.

It came as a huge shock to Sharon’s partner of 28 years, Steven Cook, 54, who she lived with in Hartlepool’s Catcote Road.

Steven was Sharon’s carer as she suffered from asthma and fibromyalgia - a musculoskeletal disorder that causes pain and discomfort.

The fibromyalgia was discovered following a zip-wire accident at an outdoor centre 20 years ago and Sharon spent half of her time in a wheelchair.

Battling Sharon had fought off double pneumonia four years ago.

Steven said: “When the doctors said they suspected it might be swine flu, I wasn’t worried because she was always a fighter.

“She came through the double pneumonia before.”

But Steven’s optimism was short-lived when Sharon’s condition deteriorated and medics said there was nothing more they could do.

Doctors reduced her treatment and she lost her fight for life minutes later.

Steven said: “I feel lost.

“She was my life.

“Sharon was happy-go-lucky and would do anything for anybody.

“It is a big part of our lives missing.”


Steven said Sharon had a cold and chesty cough two days before Christmas Day but she was given anti-biotics and was well enough to be baking on Christmas Eve for a Boxing Day party.

But on Christmas morning, Sharon could hardly breathe and paramedics were called.

She was taken to hospital and X-rays were taken.

Results showed the former Rossmere and Henry Smith School pupil had pneumonia and medics told Steven that as Sharon’s temperature was high, she could have swine flu.

Her condition got worse over the following days and she was transferred to the hospital’s intensive therapy unit, where she was given oxygen.

Swine flu was confirmed on January 1 and initially she responded well to treatment.

But her condition deteriorated and on January 4, doctors told Steven there was nothing more they could do and they were reducing treatment.

Just minutes after her medication was decreased, Sharon passed away, with Steven by her side.

Steven said: “It’s devastating.

“She was doing all right the night before.”

Despite being a wheelchair user, Sharon had participated in many activities, including sailing on Scaling Dam, near Whitby.

Steven’s aunt, Ann Hart, 68, from Tweed Walk, said: “Sharon is going to be missed by everybody.”

Sharon’s friend Sandra Allison, 39, of Jones Road, said Sharon had doted on Sandra’s daughter and two nephews and added: “There will never be another like her.”

Sharon’s funeral took place at Stranton Crematorium last Friday.

A TWENTY-one-year-old Kidderminster woman who died suddenly after complaining of flu-like symptoms had pneumonia, a coroner has ruled.

Lisa Wimbush, of Trimpley Close, began to feel ill on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 but went to work as usual at the British Heart Foundation charity shop in Kidderminster. She took painkillers including Calpol but the following day she felt worse and called in sick.

She stayed in bed at the home she shared with her mother, Amanda Tovey, who went to work at the Co-operative in Stourport and phoned to check on her daughter before 8pm. Miss Wimbush answered the phone downstairs.

When Ms Tovey returned from work at about 10.20pm, Miss Wimbush was in bed complaining of being cold and asked for help to get to the bathroom as her legs felt weak. She got into her mother’s bed with extra blankets while Ms Tovey lay in a sleeping bag on the floor beside her.

At about 3am Ms Tovey fell asleep and when she woke at about 9am on the morning of Thursday, November 25, 2010, she realised her daughter was dead.

Dr George Kondratowicz carried out an autopsy at Alexandra Hospital in Redditch the following day. His report said he found evidence of pneumonia in her respiratory system which was quite widespread and involved both lungs.

Her blood contained hydroxybutyrates which are a non-specific indicator of pneumonia.

Coroner Geraint Williams recorded a verdict of death by natural causes. He said Miss Wimbush died in her sleep from acute bronchial pneumonia.

More than 100 people attended her funeral at St John the Baptist Church in Kidderminster on Tuesday, December 14 and hundreds of tributes have been left on her facebook page.

Her father, Paul Wimbush, of Cleobury Mortimer, who works for Royal Mail in Kidderminster, speaking outside the inquest, said: “It was very sudden. I am just handling it in the best way I can.”

He last saw his daughter last summer and they kept in touch via text and email. He has kept a text he received from her on Father’s Day on his phone. He described her as a girl who had a lot of friends and who liked animals, going to concerts, ice-skating and reality tv shows.

Money raised in Miss Wimbush’s memory, from a collection at her funeral and donations from Mr Wimbush’s colleagues at Royal Mail, has totalled £350 and will be given to the British Heart Foundation shop where she worked.