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Liverpool Royal Hospital chief says ‘we are coping with swine flu’
Jan 11 2011 Liverpool Daily Post

HOSPITAL chiefs assured patients the city was coping with the swine flu outbreak last night.

Health bosses said although Liverpool wards were seeing a high number of seriously ill flu patients, everything was under control.

At least nine people in Merseyside have died from the H1N1 strain so far this winter.

Figures released on Friday showed cases were going down, but Liverpool still has much higher rates than average.

Diane Wake, Director of nursing and operations at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen hospitals, said the trust had increased its intensive care capacity from 13 beds to 20, but that they were not all currently being used.

All Merseyside hospitals have been told to cancel none emergency operations when necessary by the strategic health authority, to accommodate serious flu patients. But Ms Wake said procedures were still going ahead.

She added that flu patients have continued to come to A&E, and urged people to stop.

GP SURGERIES across Huddersfield have reported an increase in visitors with flu-like symptoms.

But NHS Kirklees says the spate of sickness reflects the national position and is normal for the time of year.

A spokeswoman added that individuals suffering from the most severe forms of influenza were mainly in the clinical “at risk” groups.

Prime Minister David Cameron says the country faces “significant outbreaks” for years to come.
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A MUM-of-three has died from swine flu — after catching a cold off one of her children.
Lindsay Goddard, 36, became the latest Brit to die of pig flu just TEN DAYS after complaining of being unwell.

And it emerged she would normally have been vaccinated against the killer illness because of her job at a chemist — but missed the jab because she was off sick.

Today her family urged everyone to ask their GP for the jab and to be aware of the symptoms.

Daughter Georgia, 17 — who gave her mum a cold before she died — said: "My mum was fit and healthy. She had no underlying illnesses.

"She didn't have asthma and hadn't been diagnosed with anything. She was a smoker, but that was it.

"She caught the cold off me but at first didn't seem too bad and appeared to be getting a bit better. But she was struggling with breathing.

"We rang NHS Direct and they sent out an ambulance because they didn't know what it was.

"She was a great mum. She was bubbly, crazy, eccentric. She was very caring. She loved going out with her mates. She will be greatly missed by everyone."

Healthcare assistant Lindsay, from Colne, Lancs, took her GP's advice to stay at home and take over-the-counter medicines when she first fell ill.

But when she began struggling for breath she was rushed to the Royal Blackburn Hospital in Blackburn, Lancs, and doctors diagnosed her as having pneumonia or swine flu.

They pumped her body full of antibiotics and steroids but her lungs failed and she was put on a ventilator in intensive care when her blood oxygen level dropped to a critically low 75 per cent.

She spent a week in hospital being treated with Tamiflu but developed internal bleeding in her bowel.

Surgeons operated twice, but her liver had also been affected and she died on December 17.

Georgia added: "It was so quick. It was a week and then she was gone. Even the doctors in hospital were shocked.

"She was knocked out the whole week. There was nothing at all, no twitches, she didn't open her eyes, she was just on machines.

"It was heartbreaking when we went to say goodbye to her after she had gone.

"All the machines were on standby and we just wanted to turn them back on. But we knew in our hearts that there was nothing more the doctors could do."

Divorced Lindsay, who has two other daughters Romy, 12 and Mia, eight, had just found a new house with fiance Steve Rhodes and was planning to marry for a second time.

Her mum Christine Deignan, 58, said: "We didn't really take it that seriously. Everybody gets colds, flu symptoms, diarrhoea and sickness bugs, so how do you know? I had no worries about her at all.

"In the end, they said there was nothing they could do for her. It was agonising seeing her like this.

"This needs to be a warning to everybody. Everybody can get it, and it's much bigger than they are making it out to be.

"Last year it was all this big thing, this year they are playing it down.

"Swine flu or H1N1 is a joke name for something so devastating."

Lindsay's cause of death was recorded as multiple organ failure, H1N1 pneumonia and bowel ischaemia.

News of her death came as the funeral of another swine flu victim took place.

Sarah Howard, 20, died on December 18 from the illness — just 11 days after giving birth to son Harry.

Sarah, from Wythenshawe, Manchester, was cremated today at the North Manchester Crematorium in a pink coffin at a service attended by 110 family and friends.

Earlier this month her father Mark told The Sun that medical staff did not seem to know what the symptoms of swine flu are.

By Juliette Astrup »

Poole Hospital is easing restrictions on visitors from lunchtime today – but still urging people to stay away if they have flu or winter vomiting bug symptoms.

The hospital, which had banned all non-essential visitors, will now allow a maximum of two people per patient – although two wards remain closed to new admissions after an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting.

The hospital, which had two patients in intensive care with flu, and a further 11 being treated for suspected flu last Friday, also confirmed it was still dealing with a similar number of cases this week.

A spokesman said: “Poole Hospital treats a high number of emergency patients, so the number of patients we are caring for with flu symptoms can change very quickly. As such, numbers fluctuate daily.

“However, the hospital continues to treat some patients with flu or flu-like symptoms, as is common for this time of year, and the number across the hospital is similar to last week.”

Patients have also been urged to attend for outpatient appointments and tests unless they have coughs, colds or have had a tummy bug in the last three days – and phone ahead if they have any concerns before coming into the hospital.

Routine surgery started again yesterday after the planned break over the Christmas and New Year period.

At Bournemouth Hospital Ward 26 and a bay on Ward 25 currently have restricted visiting due to some patients being affected by sickness and diarrhoea. Anyone wishing to visit these wards is asked to phone first.

The hospital is also treating flu patients, but reiterated there was capacity within the existing number of intensive care beds, and capacity to increase bed numbers if needed.

There will be a review of procurement options for the seasonal flu vaccine following supply issues in some areas this year, health secretary Andrew Lansley has told Parliament.

Mr Lansley stressed no decisions had yet been made, but confirmed central procurement would be considered as an option.

The announcement came as Mr Lansley updated Parliament on the flu situation after reported shortages of the flu vaccine and antivirals. He said the Department of Health was working with the NHS to resolve local vaccine supply issues and said there was “no shortage of antiviral medicines in the country”.

“We are working with NHS at the local level to ensure available supplies of surplus vaccine are moved to where they are needed,” Mr Lansley said. “If efforts to source seasonal flu vaccine locally are not successful, the H1N1 monovalent vaccine [Pandemrix] is now available to GPs, for patients who are eligible for the seasonal flu vaccine.”

Recent figures showed that uptake of the vaccine until January 2 was broadly in line with previous years, with 70 per cent of over 65s and 45.4 per cent of patients in clinical at-risk groups now having received the vaccination.

Mr Lansley said that the government aimed to increase vaccination rates further, confirming: “We are currently working with the British Medical Association and Royal College of General Practitioners to ensure everyone in an at-risk group who has not been vaccinated contacts their GP and books an appointment.”

Mr Lansley stressed there had been no flu pandemic this year, despite more patients requiring critical care than normal and although the H1N1 swine flu virus is circulating, the government now classes this as a seasonal flu strain since the 2009-10 outbreak established a residual level of immunity.

However, Mr Lansley’s statement confirmed the H1N1 strain was “likely to infect younger people – particularly those with underlying disease – and pregnant women”.

Swine flu figures in Warrington high according to Health Protection Agency

12:40pm Tuesday 11th January 2011

LEVELS of swine flu in Warrington are the third highest in the north west.

According to the Health Protection Agency 108.8 people per 100,000 had flu in the last week of December compared to 82 the previous week with 69 confirmed cases. A more recent set of results will be published at the end of this week.

In Liverpool the rate was 88.5 per 100,000, in Manchester it was 83.5 and worst hit was Stockport at 147.

In spite of its high rate NHS Warrington confirmed it currently has enough swine flu vaccine to give to at risk patients across the borough.

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I know of people that have had flu quite bad already this season and have recovered but it doesn't seem to have quite an impact as it has up North of England. Maybe it's making its way down. Am not coming across many articles from London (or they're being hushed up?) or where I live....???

The situation in the U.K is improving. In some northern parts of the country the peak may have been reached. Most of the people is recovering without problems, although a higher percentage are presenting severer symptoms than in other seasons and might need hospitalization for some hours or days. As I told the other day many places have been spared by this "severe wave", ILI levels nationwide are quite normal compared to historic data.

I think this might be over. Although, It's still too early to sing my praises.

DOZENS of Islanders have now been struck down by swine flu as the virus continues to spread across Jersey.

At least 90 people have been diagnosed with flu during the last few weeks, with at least 60 testing positive for swine flu.

And dozens more are thought to have fallen ill with the virus but have not sought medical treatment.

Consultant microbiologist Dr Ivan Muscat confirmed that GPs and the Hospital’s accident and emergency department had experienced a sharp rise in the number of patients with flu.