THE SWINE FLU surge is yet to hit Kirklees, health chiefs confirmed today.

The number of cases being seen across the area is significantly lower than previously predicted.

The news came as hospital bosses at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust met to discuss the flu pandemic during their monthly board meeting.

Director of nursing Helen Thomson said the number of swine flu patients remained low.

And she confirmed no patient had been treated in intensive care solely because they had swine flu.

She said: “There has not been a lot of difference in the number of cases coming in during the past few weeks. We are not seeing a huge amount in hospital.

“It is fair to say our plans are still in place, but we are just not seeing the huge numbers coming in.

“Our 1,500 doses of vaccine have now arrived and vaccination has commenced. We do not anticipate any problems in getting hold of the vaccine.”

Staff across both Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital are being offered the jab.

Medical director Yvette Oade added: “There has been good uptake of the vaccine amongst staff. We have targeted those on the children’s ward and in both the intensive care and neonatal units first.

“The staff are glad to be getting it.

“It is just starting to arrive in primary care now and the primary care trusts and GPs are absolutely ready to start delivering it to patients as soon as they can get their hands on it.

“We continue to be ready but we are just not seeing the predicted surge.”

Their comments came as an estimated 78,000 new cases of swine flu were reported in England in the past week.

The numbers are up from 53,000 the week before but fall short of the 100,000 cases at the peak of swine flu in July.

There are currently 751 people in hospital with the virus, of which 157 are in intensive care.

Children under 14 continue to be group worst hit.

The weekly figures for Kirklees were expected to be published today.

A spokesman for NHS Kirklees said: “From this week, GPs have started writing to those patients in at-risk groups to invite them for the vaccine.

“This will be on a phased basis as GPs receive the vaccine. It is going to take a few weeks.

“We would encourage those in the at risks groups to take up the vaccine.”