Please avoid hospital if you have flu-like symptoms

Please get your flu vaccination and don’t visit relatives or friends in hospital – or use hospital emergency departments – if you have flu-like symptoms.

That’s the message from infection control experts at the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire as this season’s flu-bug starts to impact NHS services.

Emergency departments at Kettering and Northampton general hospitals are always open for people who have serious and life-threatening conditions, but flu is not usually one of them.

Most viral illnesses - like flu, covid, and other coughs and colds - are usually best treated at home with support from a pharmacist using over the counter medicines.

So far both hospitals of our have started to see flu-cases – this week there have been 15 flu-positive inpatient cases at KGH and 14 at NGH.

UHN’s Associate Director of Infection Prevention & Control Holly Slyne said: “Like many other hospitals across the country we are starting to see the impact of flu and clearly for us we need to do everything we can to protect our patients, many of whom are elderly and more vulnerable to viral illnesses.

“One thing the public can do to support us is not to visit relatives or friends in hospitals if you are unwell with flu-like symptoms right now, or have been unwell in the last 48 hours.

“Also please do not attend our emergency departments with these symptoms as in most cases we will redirect you to community services such as pharmacies to help you relieve your symptoms.”

Many vulnerable people are already getting their free NHS flu jabs if they are at higher risk and this is very much encouraged.

This includes people aged 65 or over, people with certain long-term health conditions like diabetes or heart disease, people who are pregnant, live in a care home, or have a weakened immune system. These can be accessed through your GP surgery and through some pharmacists.

Pregnant women should also consider vaccinations to protect their unborn babies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire now offer vaccination to women who are at least 28 weeks' pregnant.

RSV is also on the rise – though more slowly than flu – and is one of the common viruses that causes coughs and colds in winter, but it can cause severe and sometimes life-threatening breathing difficulties in babies.

Symptoms of Flu

• Sudden high temperature, aching body, feeling tired or exhausted
• Dry cough, a sore throat, headache, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite
• Diarrhoea or tummy pain, feeling sick and being sick

What to do

• Rest and sleep
• Keep warm · Take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains · Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration (your pee should be light yellow or clear)
• Contact NHS 111 or your GP if you keep getting worse