FOUR people seriously ill with swine flu are attending casualty departments at local hospitals each day on average – despite a drop in rates nationally.
The seriously ill patients are being admitted to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax suffering complications from swine flu.
The figures were reported at a monthly board meeting of Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust yesterday.
Director of nursing Helen Thomson said: “In terms of swine flu, the numbers coming into the Trust haven’t changed.
“We are seeing about two, three or four coming in each day.
“Those patients are quite sick and are often needing intensive care.
“Although it looks like we could be over the peak for the winter, we are still seeing a small trickle of swine flu cases coming in.”
Her comments came as the Government revealed a drop in the number of people catching swine flu in England this week.
There were an estimated 46,000 new cases in the last week, down from 53,000 the week before.
There has also been a drop in the number of people in hospital, from 783 to 753.
A total of 154 of those being cared for are in intensive care.
The number of deaths linked to the virus has risen quite substantially to 163, up from 142 deaths confirmed as of last week.
Ms Thomson said the hospital’s programme to vaccinate frontline NHS staff was now being rolled out to include other staff.
Around 500 doses of the 1,500 ordered by the Trust have already been given to priority staff in children and women’s services and the intensive care unit.
Now others were being offered the jab to ensure health workers across the trust were protected.
She added: “We are continuing with our vaccination programme.
“Although it looks like we could be over the peak, we are still encouraging staff to have the swine flu and seasonal flu vaccines.
“So far the uptake has been very good.”
