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6 January 2011
Last updated at 01:35 ET
The deputy chair of the BMA's NI GPs committee has said he expects to see a "significant rise" in the number of cases of swine flu in Northern Ireland when figures are released on Thursday.
The Public Health Agency (PHA) will publish new figures later.
Dr Tom Black said GPs had dealt with an increase in flu like illness over Christmas and New Year and he expects the PHA figures to reflect this.
More than 200 people are currently being treated for the virus.
Dr Black said the "predominant strain to date is the H1N1 swine flu".
He said GPs are advising patients in the high risk groups who have not yet attended for flu vaccination to contact their practice.
"Normally healthy patients with flu like symptoms can usually stay at home taking fluids and paracetamol, only contacting their GP if they developed complications such as chest pain, shortness of breath or confusion," he said.
"It is very important that all pregnant women attend for vaccination as swine flu is four times more risky for them."
The PHA is also urging all pregnant women to get the swine flu vaccine.
Thirty three of the 77 beds in Northern Ireland's hospital intensive care and high dependency units are occupied by people who have flu and flu like illnesses.
The figure was revealed by the Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board.
John Compton said the number of patients requiring beds in these units has increased.
He said some elective surgery will be postponed for a week in order for hospitals to "meet the need for specialist intensive care and other high-dependency services".
Patients who are affected will be contacted directly by their hospital.
Mr Compton said the position will be reviewed next week and said the decision was only taken following clinical advice from doctors in all of the health trusts and the PHA.
"All the partner organisations are working together to ensure this is managed diligently and with the least possible disruption to services and upset to patients," he said.
"What we are doing is carefully adjusting the planned intake of patients, so that intensive care and high dependency units maintain their capacity to cater for those people who are already seriously ill, or come into hospital as new emergency cases.
"This is a practical response to changing demand and we very much welcome the understanding and assistance of patients, particularly those whose appointments will be delayed."
The number of people found to have the H1N1 swine flu virus in NI in the week before Christmas had previously doubled to 129.
On Tuesday the Public Health Agency revealed the number of swine flu cases in Northern Ireland has increased to more than 200, in the last week.
The Department of Health had been accused of not revealing the full extent of the flu outbreak in Northern Ireland.
Nichola Mallon of the SDLP said on Tuesday not enough was being done to warn the public and she understood three people were in intensive care with the virus.
Ms Mallon said that in other parts of the UK there had been a coordinated policy built around advertising the threat level and how to protect the public, but this had not happened in Northern Ireland.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
In response to a query about whether there were people with flu in intensive care in Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency (PHA) said it would "not be commenting on any hospitalisations".
"We do not hold any data for hospitalisations as we do not ask the trusts for this data," the PHA spokesperson said.
"This was different during the pandemic as different surveillance methods were used."
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The Public Health Agency (PHA) will publish new figures later.
Dr Tom Black said GPs had dealt with an increase in flu like illness over Christmas and New Year and he expects the PHA figures to reflect this.
More than 200 people are currently being treated for the virus.
Dr Black said the "predominant strain to date is the H1N1 swine flu".
He said GPs are advising patients in the high risk groups who have not yet attended for flu vaccination to contact their practice.
"Normally healthy patients with flu like symptoms can usually stay at home taking fluids and paracetamol, only contacting their GP if they developed complications such as chest pain, shortness of breath or confusion," he said.
"It is very important that all pregnant women attend for vaccination as swine flu is four times more risky for them."
The PHA is also urging all pregnant women to get the swine flu vaccine.
Thirty three of the 77 beds in Northern Ireland's hospital intensive care and high dependency units are occupied by people who have flu and flu like illnesses.
The figure was revealed by the Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board.
John Compton said the number of patients requiring beds in these units has increased.
He said some elective surgery will be postponed for a week in order for hospitals to "meet the need for specialist intensive care and other high-dependency services".
Patients who are affected will be contacted directly by their hospital.
Mr Compton said the position will be reviewed next week and said the decision was only taken following clinical advice from doctors in all of the health trusts and the PHA.
"All the partner organisations are working together to ensure this is managed diligently and with the least possible disruption to services and upset to patients," he said.
"What we are doing is carefully adjusting the planned intake of patients, so that intensive care and high dependency units maintain their capacity to cater for those people who are already seriously ill, or come into hospital as new emergency cases.
"This is a practical response to changing demand and we very much welcome the understanding and assistance of patients, particularly those whose appointments will be delayed."
The number of people found to have the H1N1 swine flu virus in NI in the week before Christmas had previously doubled to 129.
On Tuesday the Public Health Agency revealed the number of swine flu cases in Northern Ireland has increased to more than 200, in the last week.
The Department of Health had been accused of not revealing the full extent of the flu outbreak in Northern Ireland.
Nichola Mallon of the SDLP said on Tuesday not enough was being done to warn the public and she understood three people were in intensive care with the virus.
Ms Mallon said that in other parts of the UK there had been a coordinated policy built around advertising the threat level and how to protect the public, but this had not happened in Northern Ireland.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
We do not hold any data for hospitalisations as we do not ask the trusts for this data”
End Quote
Public Health agency spokesperson
PHA
In response to a query about whether there were people with flu in intensive care in Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency (PHA) said it would "not be commenting on any hospitalisations".
"We do not hold any data for hospitalisations as we do not ask the trusts for this data," the PHA spokesperson said.
"This was different during the pandemic as different surveillance methods were used."
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