A PENSIONER suffering from swine flu has died in London’s East End—the worst-affected area in Britain, according to latest figures. He is the 29th to die in the UK, health officials revealed today
A PENSIONER suffering from swine flu has died in London’s East End—the worst-affected area in Britain, according to latest figures.
He is the 29th to die in the UK, health officials revealed today.
Tower Hamlets has the highest ratio of cases with 84 out of every 100,000 of the population needing anti-viral drugs.
GPs are feeling the pinch as 400 patients are ringing surgeries every day across the East End with suspected swine flu.
TESTED POSITIVE
The latest victim was a 70-year-old man who died at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel after testing positive for Swine flu.
Hospital bosses say he was “very unwell with long-term underlying health conditions.”
“The number of cases is putting pressure on some GP practices,” said NHS Tower Hamlets’ medical director Douglas Russell.
“We have has seen a steady increase in people who have contacted their GP with flu-like illness over the last four weeks.”
MONITOIRED
The swine flu situation’ is being monitored daily by NHS Tower Hamlets which has laid on extra support to GP practices which need it.
The rapid spread of infection has prompted health chiefs to set up an anti-viral point at Mile End Hospital for flu friends’ of anyone down with it to pick up their prescriptions of Tamiflu. They have also set up a freephone helpline on 0800-1513513, or NHS Direct on 0845-4647.
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