People in Suffolk are being urged to take time now to find a “flu friend”.

Following the Government’s announcement on Thursday 2 July 2009 about moving to a national ‘treatment’ model for swine flu, NHS Suffolk would like to explain to people how the new arrangements will work for those affected.

Over the next couple of months the UK will see a rise in cases of swine flu, and this of course applies to Suffolk – though at the moment the number of cases in Suffolk is relatively low. Advice remains for individuals to carry on with their daily lives while also taking sensible precautions to reduce their chances of contracting the virus.

If swine flu is confirmed by your GP, you will be given an authorisation voucher, which your ‘flu friend’ – a member of your family or a friend or neighbour – can then take to the designated local antiviral collection point to collect your antiviral. This means you don’t need to go along yourself.

NHS Suffolk has set up nine antiviral collection points across the NHS Suffolk region, located in local pharmacies – your GP will tell you which is the nearest for you and what identification your flu friend will need to take to pick up your prescription.

Dr David Kanka, deputy director of public health, said: “All NHS and partner organisations in Suffolk are well-prepared to deal with increasing numbers of swine flu. It’s important to note that the majority of cases in the UK have been mild and self-limiting though in a small number of cases it has proved more severe. In most of these cases the people were suffering from underlying health conditions.”

If you think you have swine flu, you should:

– Go online and check your symptoms at www.nhs.uk

– Call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or the swine flu information line on 0800 1 513 513

– If you are still concerned, you should then call your GP, who can provide a diagnosis over the phone

– You should not go to A&E if you suspect you have swine flu