Nine county pick-up points for flu drug

Nine Tamiflu collection points have been opened across Shropshire and Telford to help deal with the growing number of suspected swine flu cases.

The move comes as the Tories claim there is a "huge" variation in the number of centres being operated across England. In 10 primary care trust (PCT) areas there are more than 30 collection points but 47 PCTs have just one, they said.

The Shropshire County PCT has opened five centres – but can open up to 10 if there is a big surge in demand for the anti-viral drug.

NHS Telford and Wrekin is running four centres at present. Shropshire's five centres are at Shrewsbury ,Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Whitchurch and Oswestry. More than 400 trust staff have been trained to help.

Jo Chambers, chief executive of Shropshire County PCT, said there were "plenty" of Tamiflu supplies and enough collection points at present in the area.

"The five centres we have opened will help take some of the pressure off GP practices," said Mrs Chambers. "They are being staffed by our clinical and non-clinical staff.

"We can't afford to be complacent because we don't know how things will turn out with the virus but at the moment everything is working well."

The Tories said there appeared to be no link between the number of people with swine flu and the number of collection points, or whether a PCT was in a rural area.

In London, which has been a swine flu hotspot, 10 PCTS have just one collection point, the party said. It added there was no evidence of antiviral collection points existing in eight PCT areas.

Shadow Health Minister Stephen O'Brien said: "These figures are a genuine and fair concern and raise further questions about the Government's handling of swine flu.

"It is understandable that the number of collection points in each primary care trust will vary according to how rural an area is and how many cases of swine flu there are locally.

"However, the number of collection points available in many areas still seems surprisingly low." He urged the Government to take action to open more centres where there were too few points.

By Health Correspondent Dave Morris