Healthy People Are Lying to Get Swine Flu Drug, Warn Gps

People are conning the swine flu helpline into giving them Tamiflu in case they fall ill, Britain's leading GP has warned. The practice could lead to the creation of private stockpiles and shortages of the drug.

Doctors claim some people also pretend to have the H1N1 virus and get the drug because they fear stocks will run out.

"Some people are deceiving the national flu line in order to get Tamiflu. Doctors tell me that some patients are undoubtedly misusing the service", said Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs.

More than 315,000 people received Tamiflu, which costs £16 for a course, in the fortnight after the National Pandemic Flu Service launched in England on 23 July. One doctor who uses the doctors.net.uk website posted a message on the site claiming: "People lie to get it because they're worried they might get flu in Spain next week and not find a doctor who speaks English."

Meanwhile, the death of a two-old-girl has prompted fresh concern that some patients are having serious conditions misdiagnosed as swine flu. Georgia Keeling of Norwich died last week after, her family claim, paramedics misread her symptoms as evidence of H1N1 rather than meningitis.

In recent weeks other patients have had meningitis, kidney infection, tonsillitis and knee infections wrongly diagnosed as swine flu.

Health officials believe the current wave of swine flu is receding across most of Britain, but many expect a "big surge" in the autumn. A mass immunization campaign is planned.