Second flu patient dies in Midlands

A second person has died at a West Midland hospital after contracting swine flu as health experts today urged people to be vaccinated as soon as possible. Britain is feared to be on the brink of a flu epidemic.

Schools and nurseries reopen this week and swine-flu cases are expected to soar.

Details have yet to be released over the latest victim, who died at New Cross Hospital at the end of last week. It follows the death of a woman aged in her 70s on December 27.

Across the country a total of 39 people have died as a result of flu.

Chief executive of New Cross Hospital David Loughton said the hospital, which has closed one ward because of a swine flu outbreak, was awaiting test results to confirm whether the four patients were suffering from the H1N1 virus over the weekend.

But he said that there had been no increases in the number of cases recorded during the last two days and that there had been far fewer suspected cases over Saturday and Sunday than expected.

"We were planning to have had two patients in intensive care each day of the New Year holiday and we haven't had that."

At Walsall Manor Hospital director of operations Phil Walmsley said there were five confirmed swine flu cases over the weekend.

He said: "Pressures continue to be very high."