Huge burdens put on Bradford's hospital services by the flu bug have been revealed in new figures.

Staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke's Hospital working on New Year's Day dealt with a total of 159 emergency admissions, up by a third on the same day in 1998 when there were 116 admissions.

The worst day was December 21 when there were 161 emergency admissions, mainly of sick, elderly people suffering complications with chest infections, up 67 on the same day the year before.

There was also intense pressure on casualty staff at BRI who dealt with 360 patients on December 28, up 113 compared to the previous year.

In the five weeks to January 3 they dealt with an extra 754 casualties on the same period the year before.

Dr Michael Smith, medical director at Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust, said flu on top of other existing illnesses, including chest and heart complaints could lead to emergency admissions of elderly people.

Staff had faced huge extra workloads particularly over the holiday period.

Winter emergency measures put in place in partnership with other providers in the city including Bradford Council social services were working well and proving a vital element in ensuring services were maintained.

Routine non-urgent operations were continuing but due to a national shortage of intensive care beds each case of people requiring an intensive care bed following major surgery was being carried out according to circumstances.

Some major surgery was likely to be temporarily postponed as a result.

Dr Smith added: "It has been an extremely busy period and the situation is being monitored closely all the time.

"Staff have been faced with unprecedented demands and are still having to work very hard to maintain smooth day-to-day running of the hospitals."

It's best to stay in your bed

Health chiefs in Bradford are advising flu sufferers to stay in bed to recover.

Sydney flu has been identified as the main strain of the bug causing symptoms including fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, runny or blocked nose, occasionally vomiting and a feeling of being generally weak or unwell.

Antibiotic medicines are of no use fighting the virus and sufferers are advised to:

l Get plenty of rest in a well-ventilated room.

l Drink plenty of fluids.

l Take two paracetamol every four hours to relieve fever, headaches and aches following instructions on packets and not mixing remedies which might contain the drug.

Patients should see a doctor if any of the symptoms get rapidly worse or do not improve after seven days or if they become short of breath, in pain or distressed.

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