The number of patients seeking help from hospitals and GPs has spiked as swine flu compounds the usual winter peak of illness in the community.
"There's been a significant increase over the last three to four weeks in the numbers of people consulting primary care for influenza-like illness.
"Hospitals are also, anecdotally, reporting in some places an increased number of people turning up at emergency departments."
"We are starting to see a winter spike and we are bracing a little bit for what is going to be a fairly bad winter."
