A SUPPLY of the swine flu treatment Tamiflu became available in Wisbech this week – just 24 hours after a man had to get up from his sick bed and drive 15 miles to collect his prescription. After hearing about how Anthony Simper had to travel to King s Ly

A SUPPLY of the swine flu treatment Tamiflu became available in Wisbech this week - just 24 hours after a man had to get up from his sick bed and drive 15 miles to collect his prescription.

After hearing about how Anthony Simper had to travel to King's Lynn to collect his anti-viral tablets, the Wisbech Standard contacted the NHS to highlight the lack of Tamiflu in Fenland.

And within hours, a statement was issued from the health authority, saying: "As from 15 July, an anti-viral collection point will be available in Wisbech. If a GP diagnoses swine flu they will automatically direct the patient's 'flu friend' to the closest and most convenient collection point for them."

Anthony, aged 53 - who had been in bed with flu-like symptoms for three days - had to drive his wife Janet from Wisbech to Gaywood in King's Lynn to collect his tablets on Tuesday.

"I cannot drive, and we had no money for the bus fare," Janet, 48, explained this week.

"We were lucky we had some diesel in the car, he was still in his slippers when we drove there.

"If I had collected the prescription on my own, I would have had to go to the surgery, then go into town to catch a bus to King's Lynn, and then catch a second bus to Gaywood, and then make the same return journey."

Anthony was prescribed Tamiflu after describing his symptoms to a doctor over the telephone.

Janet added: " My daughter said she would take me to Gaywood, but she has three young children, and I did not want to pass the virus on to her and the children."

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, said: "NHS Cambridgeshire has a number of anti-viral collection points open across Cambridgeshire to enable 'flu friends' to collect anti-virals for the treatment of swine flu. Most of these are based in local pharmacies across the county. As time goes on and more cases of swine flu are diagnosed in the county, more anti-viral points will be opened up to make it as convenient as possible for 'flu friends' to collect the anti-viral medication that is needed.