NHS services can do little for vomiting bug over holiday period
People of all ages are having a miserable time coping with a vomiting bug that is running rife in Tayside.
- By Marjory Inglis, health reporter
- Published in the Courier : 28.12.10
- Published online : 28.12.10 @ 07.31am
The doctor in charge of NHS Tayside's out-of-hours (OOH) service admitted there was little she and her colleagues could do to help and advised sufferers to keep up their fluids and wait it out.
Dr Joyce Meikle, a part-time GP in the city and medical director of the Tayside OOH service, said, "I have spoken to a few people with vomiting and diarrhoea. That is quite rife at the moment. We are seeing quite a bit of that."
She added it was affecting all age groups and she had spoken to children and adults who were suffering with the bug.
"For vomiting and diarrhoea people should take small amounts of fluids at a time and try to keep that up. They should be very careful about hand hygiene because the bug is very infectious and hand washing is very important.
"We are always happy to give advice, particularly if people have other medical problems (in addition to the vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms) and the patient or their carer have concerns but there is not a great deal we can do to stop it. It largely takes its course over 24 to 36 hours.
"If patients are feeling reasonably well and are able to keep up their fluid intake, and they have no other medical concerns, then give it 24 to 36 hours before phoning us."
Surgery openings
Doctors' surgeries closed on Friday and will not reopen until tomorrow, leaving the OOH service to deal with business over the festive period.
Emergency primary care centres and minor illness and injury units across Tayside were kept fairly busy over the weekend, dealing with over 1000 patients.
"Christmas Day was steady, comparable with last year, not exceptionally busy or exceptionally quiet," Dr Meikle said. "Yesterday we were generally slightly quieter than last year. We were certainly not as busy during the daytime but were busier in the evening and into the night so, overall, a wee bit quieter than last year."
On Christmas Day staff from the Tayside OOH service made 31 visits to patients in Dundee and saw 81 patients who attended at the city's emergency primary care centre. There were 33 visits made to patients in Perth and Perthshire and 71 patients attended the Perth emergency centre. The figures for Angus were 24 visits and 74 attendances. In addition around 45 people were given telephone advice.
On Sunday, 48 visits were made in Dundee and 159 patients attended. There were 37 visits made in Perth and Perthshire and 110 attendances. The figures for Angus were 34 visits and 128 attendances. In addition around 140 people were given advice over the phone.
Elsewhere NHS Tayside accident and emergency specialist Dr Bill Morrison, who was on duty in Ninewells Hospital over the festive period, said the department was busy but not exceptionally so. Some children had to spend at least part of Christmas Day in the accident and emergency department, where donations of toys and selection boxes helped to keep smiles on their faces despite the disruption to their festive fun.
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