Newtown flu victims take on-line health check

 

Newtown residents were among the thousands of sick or concerned people who turned to the internet for their health checks over the Festive Period.

 

The town’s well-documented health facility shortage has come to a head over the last fortnight with one parent telling mynewtown that it took two hours for her flu-ridden toddler to be seen.

 

And with Newtown Medical Centre inundated with the massive rise in flu cases, many turned to a new NHS Direct Wales bilingual online services for help.

 

More than 5,000 people used the www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk web site in a five-day spell before Christmas. The site can be accessed 24 hours a day, every day of the year, by people feeling unwell and unsure what to do. Alongside the telephone option, people can also visit all the same advice and information they would get over the phone with the click of a button.

 

With the cold and flu season in full swing visitors can also check symptoms and find the best help through the online cold and flu checker.

 

NHS Direct Assistant Nurse Director Aileen Evans said: “If you are feeling unwell please visit the website, it contains a wealth of information that will put your mind at rest and point you in the right direction for the care or treatment you need.”