More people confirmed with swine flu

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The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK has continued to rise.

There are now 909 such cases, with 28 people hospitalised.

Health secretary Andy Burnham admitted there had been "significant increases" in the number of cases confirmed on a daily basis, especially in Scotland.

His update came after the World Health Organisation announced that there was now a global flu pandemic.

"Yesterday's announcement means that it is even more important that the global community works together to limit the impact of swine flu," Burnham said in a Commons statement.

In response to the WHO's update, Burnham confirmed that the government has now set aside a further £6m to help with the international response.

"The Department of Health is continuing to work with other government departments, health protection officers and other healthcare professionals to slow the spread of the virus," he explained.

"This includes our strategy of giving anti-viral drugs for the treatment of those with symptoms, and prophylactically to those who have been potentially exposed to the virus, and where appropriate closing affected schools."

Burnham continued: "People who have flu-like symptoms shouldn't panic but stay at home and check their symptoms using the online symptom checker or the swine flu information line.

"If they are still concerned they should call their GP or NHS Direct."

But shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley criticised the government for not yet having the National Flu Line operational.

"The National Flu Line is not available, even though it is now June," Lansley told Burnham. "Can you further explain why that is the case?"

"By now, primary care trusts across the country should know where they are but clearly they don't," Lansley said.

And he also inquired about the protocol for school closures if the pandemic worsens.

"If the virus continues to be relatively modest in its severity, there will be an argument that school closures may be an excessive response," he told MPs.

"But there is also an argument that if there are a very large number of cases and schools look like they are places where the virus is spread very rapidly, there will be a risk that if we did not close schools for a short period of time where cases are confirmed that we would overwhelm local health service facilities."