The Government's most senior medical adviser says swine flu is placing NHS hospitals under a "lot of pressure" in coping with the most seriously ill patients. Skip related content
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NHS 'under pressure' on swine flu
Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said the shortage of intensive care beds was a "concern" but expressed hope the vaccination programme will contain the spread of the virus.
The number of people affected by swine flu has increased at a slower rate than feared, although he admitted a "small proportion" of sufferers are dying.
He said: "The good thing about the situation at the moment is we are getting a bit of breathing space with the relatively slow increase in cases to be able to get the vaccine in place."
Asked about the strain the pandemic was placing on the NHS he said: "We are seeing the general practitioner services not under a great deal of pressure at the moment and we also have this alternative route of access through the internet and the telephone lines to let people get assessed and get anti-virals. So that side of things is looking good but on the hospital side the intensive care beds are under a lot of pressure.
"We have plans to expand them but that is a concern at the moment - the serious end of the spectrum, the hospitalised patients."
He added: "I think that things as we go into the flu season we are going to see more cases and probably more serious illnesses.
"But at the same time, every day that goes by more people will be getting the vaccination."
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