 Uptake of the flu vaccine has been encouraged |
Concerns that hospitals would not be able to cope if Scotland was hit by a flu epidemic have been dismissed by the first minister. It has emerged that the health service in the Greater Glasgow area has already spent the money it had earmarked to prevent a beds shortage.
But Jack McConnell said the NHS across Scotland as a whole was well prepared.
The deaths of three children in Scotland in the past two months from a Fujian-like strain of the illness raised fears that a larger than normal outbreak could be possible.
Last year it cost the health service in Glasgow �3m to provide extra hospital beds to cope with the effects of the flu. Now newspaper reports have revealed the money put aside for any similar surge in admissions this winter has already been spent.
NHS Greater Glasgow said it would ensure beds were found for emergency and acute cases.
And Mr McConnell insisted the NHS would be able to cope with increased demand.
"If there are problems with the flu or any other infectious disease the local health boards have both the resources and the plans that they should put in place," he said.
"But I absolutely stress the most important thing that all of us can do if we are in a vulnerable group, or we are working with the public services, we should be getting the vaccination and protecting the public as well as ourselves."
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If there are problems with the flu or any other infectious disease the local health boards have both the resources and the plans that they should put in place 
