Flu sufferers in Wharfedale are being urged to stay away from Airedale Hospital’s accident and emergency department, to avoid putting additional pressure on the health service this winter.

Airedale NHS Foundation Trust has appealed for people suffering from flu-like symptoms to stay at home and seek help from their GP or the NHS Direct helpline.

The trust’s deputy chief operating officer, Philip Turner, says there has been an increase in people concerned they have swine flu going to the Steeton hospital’s A&E department.

He said: “However, a visit to A&E is only necessary for people who are seriously ill; the vast majority of people who are worried they may have swine flu or a flu-like illness should stay at home and contact NHS Direct or their GP.

“Of course, we will deal with accident and emergencies as normal whether people have ‘flu or not, but it is not the right place to visit if someone’s only problem is ‘flu.

“Turning up at A&E with minor injuries or illnesses such as flu, colds, diarrhoea and vomiting puts additional pressure on the NHS and means staff cannot look after the people with urgent medical conditions who really need them.

“For most healthy people, ‘flu remains an unpleasant but mild illness and generally they will recover in a few days after getting lots of rest, drinking plenty of fluids and using over-the-counter remedies such as paracetamol.”

People with flu-like symptoms including a sudden fever, cough or shortness of breath, headache, sore throat, tiredness, aching muscles, chills, sneezing, runny nose or loss of appetite, are advised to check symptoms online at nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47, to contact their GP.

The trust also advises them to ask a friend or family member to visit their local pharmacist for ‘flu medicine so that they can care for themselves at home. Anyone needing advice or treatment, day or night, can contact West Yorkshire Urgent Care Services on contact 0345 605 99 99.

Patients in at-risk groups are also being encouraged to get their free seasonal ‘flu jab, which this contains a vaccine to protect against the latest ‘flu strains, which including the H1N1 virus (swine flu) and influenza B.

The NHS is continuing to encourage people to practise good hand hygiene with the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ technique. This means carrying tissues, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, disposing of the tissue after one use, and cleaning hands as soon as possible with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel.