Rhiza Labs FluTracker Forum

London has recorded its first confirmed flu death of the season with the Middlesex-London Health Unit reporting an increase in influenza activity in the county and city.

And there is more than just the flu to contend with.

The health unit, in an update released Tuesday morning, said there are two other respiratory viruses circulating in the area - coronovirus and rhinovirus.

Norovirus infections are also being reported in long-term care facilities, hospitals, child care centres and the community. Typically lasting one to two days, norovirus can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Two influenza outbreaks in institutions were declared between Dec. 30 and Jan. 6.

On Monday, an influenza outbreak on a cancer wing at Victoria Hospital was declared over.

The health unit said most flu cases are occurring in the elderly with two thirds of the hospitalized cases involving people over 65 years old.

HEALTH experts are urging vulnerable people to be vaccinated against swine flu after four victims died in local hospitals.

The number of people being treated for flu symptoms at Queen’s Hospital, Romford, however, has fallen from 20 last week to 13 today.

One person remains in a serious condition in a high dependency unit.

At King George’s Hospital in Goodmayes today, 15 people were admitted to hospital with suspected flu in the past week, with three in intensive care.

The majority of patients have the H1N1 swine flu strain but of the four people who died with flu-like symptoms, it was not the cause of death in any of the cases.
Pregnant women, the elderly or anyone with underlying health issues, such as asthma, are advised to get in touch with their GPs for flu jabs.

A Barking, Havering and Redbridge Trust spokeswoman said: “We have treated some seriously ill people.

“Some people have died but swine flu was not the cause of death.

“They unfortunately had underlying health issues, but it does bring home the importance of getting the message out about hand hygiene and that at-risk people should see their GP for a flu jab.”

Health services struggle to cope with record number of patients
8:30pm Tuesday 11th January 2011

A&E and ambulance teams are struggling to cope with record numbers of patients in East Lancashire as flu cases continue to rocket.

The number of people in hospital with flu symptoms has nearly doubled in the past week in the north west.

Health chiefs said they were around 25 people in critical care beds across Lancashire and Cumbria suffering from swine flu and seasonal flu.

The majority have underlying health conditions, such as asthma and breathing problems, made worse by the cold weather.

So far there has been one confirmed death from flu in East Lancashire, 36-year-old mum-of-three Lindsay Goddard from Colne, and a further 49 nationwide.

To tackle the demand East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has already opened an extra 45 beds in a winter escalation unit at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

According to latest figures the trust failed to reach its target of 95 per cent of patients attending A&E being seen within four hours for the fourth week running, achieving 89.1 per cent for the week ending December 26 and 86.4 per cent for the week ending January 2.

Dr Geraint Jones, medical director, said it had the flexibility to open more beds if necessary.

And he thanked staff for working extra hours and “going above and beyond their usual duties” to meet the challenge.

He said: “The situation regarding serious flu illness is changing all the time, but we have the capacity and flexibility to change our critical care provision in accordance with demand.

“Meetings are held three times a day to check and ensure we are able to meet demand, while senior clinicians remain on call 24 hours a day to respond to any concerns.”

Ambulance calls are up by around 18 per cent on the same time last year.

North West Ambulance Service has failed to meet its NHS target of responding to 75 per cent of urgent calls within eight minutes for five weeks running, reaching just 56.6 per cent and 62.2 per cent on time in the last two weeks.

Nationally, the chairman of the Royal College of GPs has said that healthy people who are not considered to be 'at-risk' of contracting the flu virus should be banned from having private vaccinations.

Hi Tex

It's in Canada, no ?

Oops.

Well, that would explain why it is the over-65s who are sick there, since the other London is dealing with more of the h1n1.

HILLINGDON Hospital says it is under 'unprecedented pressure' because of an outbreak of flu and swine flu in the borough.

Nine patients are in intensive care and the hospital says it has even had to cancel operations to cope with the outbreak.

The hospital in Pield Heath Road, Hillingdon, is currently working through the outbreak, and is encouraging people who have flu-like symptoms not to come to accident and emergency and to attempt to recover at home, as services are currently overstretched.

A spokesperson said: "Hillingdon Hospital has been dealing with a lot of cases of flu and swine flu, with patients in intensive care. Many of the patients are elderly, and have respiratory problems, but children have also been affected too. The hospital is under unprecedented pressure.

"At the most the hospital usually has up to five patients on ventilators in intensive care, at the moment there are nine. We have also had to cancel operations, although not those of the most serious nature."

The hospital were unable to place an exact figure on patients admitted to the hospital with flu-like symptoms, as they do not collect the information, instead the Health Protection Agency gathers London-wide figures, although these have not been released. Nationwide over 50 people have died from the flu, with the majority of cases being cited to the more aggressive swine flu.

At risk groups, including pregnant women and the elderly, are being urged to register with their GPs to get vaccinated.

NHS Hillingdon backed the hospital's call for people experiencing flu-like symptoms to stay out of hospital except in cases of emergency. They encouraged people who feel they have the flu to visit their GP if, they have an underlying health problem, are pregnant, have a sick child under one year old, or if the condition suddenly gets worse.

All routine surgical operations due to take place at Macclesfield Hospital this week have been postponed following a second swine flu death.

The move to make way for seriously-ill patients follows the death of Garth Bielby, 58, from Wilmslow, who died in intensive care at the hospital last week.

A man from Macclesfield died in the unit in December after a swine flu diagnosis.

Patients due to have non-emergency procedures from January 10-14 have had their appointments postponed.

The move has freed up 32 beds for emergency cases.

An East Cheshire NHS Trust spokeswoman said patients had been informed, adding: "This is not unique to this trust but is common to other hospitals in the region."

John Wilbraham, trust chief executive, said: "We do apologise to patients whose operations have been postponed and will rearrange surgery to take place as soon as possible."

He said: "Postponing non-emergency operations, both inpatient and day cases has ensured that we have the maximum possible capacity available at the hospital to deal with patients admitted as emergencies.

"We hope people will understand that we have to prioritise critically-ill patients."

Gill Plant, a doctor from Macclesfield’s Waters Green Medical Practice said the move was disappointing.

"It is obviously very disappointing for anyone who has had their operation postponed.

"However, I am sure that people will understand that priority for hospital beds needs to be given to critically ill patients," she said.

Dr W Forsyth, medical director of the PCT said emergency or critical surgery has been reviewed on a case by case basis and goes ahead if necessary.

He added: "The high numbers of people requiring critical care and acute care over Christmas and New Year and in the first week of January 2011 has meant that this has happened.

"This has ensured sufficient capacity in local hospital and regional critical care beds to care for patients who need intensive care – whether as a result of flu or some other reason."

operations a week cancelled on Teesside
Jan 12 2011 by Sarah Judd, Evening Gazette

AS MANY as 100 operations a week are being cancelled across Teesside as a surge in hospital admissions related to swine flu and the hard winter causes a shortage of critical care beds.

This week, up to 20 routine non-urgent surgical procedures are being cancelled every day by South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough and The Friarage in Northallerton.

Three non-urgent operations were also cancelled by North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust yesterday, and the trust also cancelled three similar procedures last week.

The types of surgery being put on hold, while hospitals cope with an increased demand for critical care beds brought on by swine flu and winter-related respiratory conditions, include hip replacements and routine urological procedures.

Hospitals are also under pressure due to the icy weather conditions brought on by record-breaking low December temperatures, which have seen a large number of patients requiring surgery for broken bones.

A spokeswoman for South Tees NHS Foundation Trust today said: “About 10 to 20 planned operations a day have been postponed this week but all urgent surgery is still going ahead.

“All affected patients have been informed. We also provide an option for patients to be called back if we can fit them into the schedule.

“We have plans in place to deal with the additional demand.

“Our A&E department is dealing with an extremely high number of patients and our staff are working very hard to meet the increased demand. People can help by only accessing A&E when it is absolutely necessary.”

A spokeswoman for North Tees NHS Foundation Trust said: “If you’re tight on critical care beds and don’t think you would have one for a patient who might need a critical care bed after their surgery, you don’t want to do it.

“Three operations were cancelled last week that would have taken place in our day case unit. Three were postponed yesterday where critical care beds might have been required afterwards.

“We have been doing things like opening extra beds on wards and bringing in extra staff. The region has a very well understood winter plan to deal with increases in demand. The staff have been absolutely fantastic.”

A total of 58 people across the North-east are in critical care because of flu-related illness this week, with the North East Strategic Health Authority (SHA) confirming swine flu is the strain of the virus causing the most problems.

Meanwhile, some patients are facing waiting lists at doctors’ surgeries after some ran out of the seasonal flu jab and are currently replenishing stocks with the H1N1, or swine flu vaccine.

Patients at Linthorpe Surgery in Middlesbrough reported having to wait for the vaccine, as well as Kings Medical Centre in North Ormesby.

Peter Kelly, Executive Director of Public Health for NHS Tees, said: “Following the Chief Medical Officer’s announcement last week that we will be able to use the monovalent H1N1 vaccine for pregnant women and other people in vulnerable groups then we expect any waiting lists that are there to dissipate rapidly. The majority of GP practices in Teesside have flu vaccine available, though some practices are experiencing an increase in demand. All surgeries can now order the H1N1 vaccine and are replenishing their stocks if needed this week. Linthorpe surgery are running flu clinics this week which will diminish their small waiting list.

“We are encouraging pregnant women and people aged under 65 years with underlying conditions to get the free jab by contacting their GP.”