For up to date information, please go to the national swine flu website at: www.direct.gov.uk/swineflu
There is now a helpline for Swine Flu for the whole of England.
- If you think you have swine flu, call 0800 1 513 100
(Textphone - 0800 1 513 200).
- If you want information about swine flu, ring 0800 1 513 513.
Contact your doctor directly instead of using the helpline if:
- you have another serious illness already.
- you are pregnant
- you have a sick child under one year old
- your condition suddenly gets much worse
- your condition is still getting worse after 7 days (5 for a child)
When you ring up the helpline, make sure you have a pen ready. They will give you a number to write down. You will need this to collect the medicine you need.
Flu Friend
You should not go to collect the medicine yourself when you are ill.
Find a Flu Friend. This can be a neighbour, a friend or a family member.
The National Flu Line will give you a number when you ring them (see above). Your flu friend will need to bring this to the chemist / collection point with them.
They will need to bring ID for you and ID for themselves. The ID could be a household bill (gas, electricity, phone bill), a passport, a medical card.
Catch it, Bin it, Kill it!
To stop swine flu from spreading, and to try to stop yourself from catching it you need to:
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
- throw the tissue away quickly and carefully
- wash your hands often with soap and water
- clean hard surfaces (like door handles and remote controls) often with a normal cleaning product
There are other pieces of information about swine flu, including an easy read leaflet and posters, at the bottom of the page.
