MP John Hemming calls for swine flu sufferers to be barred from entering UK

Jul 21 2009 by Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Post

Travellers suspected of having swine flu should be barred from entering the country, a Birmingham MP has told ministers.

John Hemming (Lib Dem Yardley) said airlines were preventing people leaving Britain if they were infected with the H1N1 virus, but there were no restrictions on people coming into the country.

He was speaking in the Commons after health secretary Andy Burnham announced the launch of a new national flu service allowing sufferers to be diagnosed over the telephone.

Trained operators would provide victims with an authorisation number, which a friend would be able to use to pick up anti-viral drugs for them, Mr Burnham said.

The aim is to prevent GP surgeries and hospitals becoming swamped with sufferers.

The Health Protection Agency revealed last Friday that the number of new cases had shot up by an estimated 55,000 in just one week. New figures also showed that the West Midlands is no longer one of the worst hit areas of the country. The East Midlands, north east of England and London all have a higher rate than the West Midlands.

Mr Hemming told MPs: “We are in the strange situation where the Government has done nothing to stop people flying into the country, while airlines have turned around and stopped people flying out with swine flu.”

Mr Burnham told him that the World Health Organisation had advised ministers that travel restrictions would not be useful.

He was also quizzed by Worcestershire MP Richard Taylor (Ind Wyre Forest), who said it was “incomprehensible” that MPs were about to begin a 12-week summer recess when they would not be able to scrutinise the work of government.

Mr Burnham said regional health authorities had been instructed to give their local MPs regular updates on the situation in their area, including the number of new cases.