HEALTH Reporter Diana Prince visited a GP surgery yesterday to see how staff are coping on the frontline of treating the swine flu virus.

EIGHT o'clock on Monday morning at one of Plymouth's largest GP practices and the phone calls are coming in.

Staff at Mannamead Surgery agree swine flu has turned recent weeks into among the busiest in their experience.

Receptionists say people worried about the virus are swelling call numbers to record levels.

Dr Peter Leman says GPs working more than 12-hour days is becoming increasingly common as they have to deal with swine flu-related enquiries on top of routine appointments. With cases of the illness on the rise in Plymouth, as they are across the country, the workload is only set to increase.

Staff hope the pressure will be eased by plans being put in place by the NHS locally and nationally – specifically a new national flu line due to up and running by the end of this week.

Between 8am and 10.30am at the Mannamead practice yesterday, three receptionists took about 150 calls. Roughly one in three related to swine flu.

Some people were worried they have flu symptoms while others wanted advice about suspected cases in their workplace or child's school.

Many are advised to call the swine flu advice line or NHS Direct, which will refer them back to their GP for a phone consultation if necessary.

People with flu-symptoms are asked to stay away from the surgery to prevent the virus spreading to staff and vulnerable groups – those with long-term conditions, people over 65, under five and pregnant women. Exactly the sort of people populating the surgery's waiting room.

Occasionally, if there are complications, a GP may visit a suspected swine flu patient in their home.

Receptionist Jo Organ said concerns over swine flu, as well recent cases of chicken pox and tonsillitis, have made the past fortnight unseasonably busy.

Talking to The Herald when there is finally a break in the morning's calls, she said: "I've been here for two years and it's the busiest I've known it, but then it has been expected."

She said many recent calls are from people wanting to know when they will be able to receive the swine flu vaccine.

Currently being manufactured, the Department of Health has said it will be made available as soon as possible.

Jo said: "A lot of people seem to be worried, particularly older people and pregnant women. Many just don't know what to do and are looking for guidance. As long as people get the information they require, they calm down."

Spaces in the yesterday's routine appointments for the four GPs on duty at Mannamead were filled by 10.45am.

Doctors then start taking extra calls whenever they can, and slots in the afternoon and evening's 'urgent surgery' begin to fill.

Practice manager Sue Smith said: "We are always busy here, but swine flu hasn't helped. It's definitely increased calls.

"But we are getting NHS updates all the time, things coming in most days from the time it started. We are keeping up with the pressures."

She added it has helped that people have generally heeded advice to stay away from the practice in person if they believe they have flu.

Between appointments, Dr Leman told The Herald he had that morning had contact with 27 patients, face to face and on the telephone.

Seven of them had related to swine flu – all of which he dealt with via the phone.

He said: "The calls seem to be split 50/50 between people worried about actually having swine flu and those wanting to discuss viral-type symptoms, for example someone at work has it and they want to know what to do.

"There's definitely a degree of anxiety out there and people are possibly more anxious than they need to be. Although it's understandable concern in the context of news stories describing the number of deaths."

He said the practice has prescribed 21 courses of Tamiflu in the past week.

He added that, although people can be unwell with the virus, with a high fever, muscle ache, head ache, often confined to bed, the flu generally lasts for a relatively short period of time – 24 or 48 hours.

Dr Leman said that he hopes NHS plans will alleviate pressure over coming weeks.

He said: "We have cancelled some admin tasks, such as staff meetings, but haven't cancelled routine patient appointments – such as blood pressure and asthma reviews. That's possibly on the agenda.

"We are a couple of weeks behind how much the virus as spread in London and the Midlands and hopefully the national flu line will start to take some pressure off us."