Emergency doctors service stretched by swine flu

Jul 30 2009 by Sam Wood, The Journal

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AN EMERGENCY out of hours doctors service in the North East has been stretched to the limit during the Swine Flu pandemic.

Northern Doctors Urgent Care (NDUC) has been put under pressure by the volumes of calls coming in, at peak times around two and a half times the usual number expected for this time of year.

Extra resources have ensured the service, which fills in during evenings and weekends when GP surgeries are closed, has coped so far, but anyone who suspects they have swine flu is being urged to call the new National Pandemic Flu Service.

NDUC provides access to GP services for 934,000 people across Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside and South Tyneside.

At peak times it was receiving 200 calls in an evening with another 1,000 calling on Saturdays and Sundays, meaning doctors have had to work more shifts and longer hours.

And more than half of those calls were for suspected cases of swine flu. Dr Patrick Feeny, clinical executive, at Northern Doctors said: “We have been prepared and we have extra resources.

“Obviously we were expecting an increase and that is what we have seen. During some periods we have had about 150% of our usual calls.