THE launch of a national swine flu helpline has taken the strain off county doctors.

Herefordshire NHS says GPs were facing enormous pressure before the helpline was launched last week.

But they insist the county is coping well and are prepared to activate emergency measures.

“The helpline has taken the pressure off local GPs and when it kicked in things got a lot better for them,” said John Burnett, council press officer. “The level of distribution around Herefordshire is fairly low, but everything seems to be working.”

NHS Herefordshire and Herefordshire Council have prepared their own swine flu helpline in case the national version gets swamped.

They’ve also built up a stockpile of anti-viral drugs, based at six key pharmacies in Hereford and the market towns.

Victims of swine flu can claim the drugs through a “flu-friend”, who must collect a voucher from a GP on their behalf.

The number of confirmed cases in Herefordshire is now unknown, as GPs are giving an instant diagnosis over the phone.

■ The Hereford Times would like to point out that there are no cases of swine flu at Holme Lacy Primary School.

A report carried in last week’s paper incorrectly stated that there had been.