Red Faces at Swine Flu HQ
Ealing residents were told to go to Enfield for Tamiflu
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The new National Flu Service has confused Ealing with Enfield.
The website - which crashed on launch - was directing people from Ealing to the North London borough 16 miles away to pick up Tamiflu on behalf of family and friends.
The service offers sufferers access to drugs on the phone and via the internet without the need to see a GP.
The government said demand was "unprecedented", with 2,600 hits a second. The site crashed shortly after its launch on Thursday (23rd July) at 3pm, but was was back up and running two and half hours later.
Ealing PCT says the confusion between the two boroughs was caused by a 'technical hitch' which should now be sorted out.
The antiviral collection point is still based at Ealing Town Hall.
Residents should take their unique reference number, given from the telephone Flu line or website, before going to the collection point.
Do not go to the town hall if you have flu symptoms, or if you have not been told that you need Tamiflu.
You should call your GP directly if:
- you have a serious underlying illness
- 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 seven days (five for a child)
July 25, 2009
