Brown rejects charge that NHS Direct cannot cope with swine flu

Will pandemic information line be ready?

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has rebuffed Tory claims that NHS Direct faces being swamped with calls from patients afraid they have been infected with swine flu because of delays getting a planned dedicated flu-line and associated drug supply system up and running.

The need for a dedicated national inquiry number linked to facilities required to treat patients was identified in the government's contingency planning for a threatened pandemic and it was intended the system should go live early this year.

Brown was challenged over the delay by Conservative leader David Cameron, who warned in the Commons: "Clearly everyone will be concerned that without a flu line there is a danger that NHS Direct could be swamped."

Brown said a contract had been awarded last year to BT for the line with provision for "the availability and distribution of anti-virals to people in the country".

He said it would become available "in the longer term" and claimed arrangements had been made so if it was necessary that could still be done.

An NHS spokesman said the contract had only been let in December. "We have been working extremely hard with BT to get the flu line up and running as soon as possible," he said.

He added it was "a ground-breaking approach to authorising anti-virals and it would be too risky to introduce it without full development and testing, which is why we need more time to get it right".

The Health Department claimed local health authorities have "strong plans in place to distribute anti-virals "in a timely and efficient manner".

Reports have revealed frustration among local doctors who wished to prescribe Tamiflu or other anti-virals but knew local pharmacies did not have stocks available.

Other reports have identified a surge in calls to NHS Direct as well as hits on its web site.