A round-the-clock Health helpline has, at times, been receiving double the usual number of calls during the flu outbreak.

During one 24-hour period, nurses and call-takers at NHS Direct in Essex dealt with 900 calls from the public.

Now health bosses are trying to employ more staff to deal with the influx of callers.

The average daily figure of calls to the health-by-phone service, based at Essex Ambulance HQ in Broomfield, near Chelmsford, is around 400, said a spokeswoman.

But on December 31 there were 783 calls, 855 on New Year's Day and 833 on January 3.

The peak figure of 909 was on January 2 and almost half were related to flu.

This week the figures have started to level out, with 556 calls on Tuesday, and 36 per cent cent of these flu-related.

The spokeswoman said: "We have had a lot of calls relating to the flu epidemic. A lot of people are worried about flu, and many are frightened young people."

She said there had been confusion about flu vaccines, because many flu victims had asked their GPs for a jab but had been told they should have asked for one earlier.

Nurses working for NHS Direct have had to work longer hours to cover for their flu and cold-struck colleagues.

It is hoped an imminent recruitment drive will take the current figure of 30 nurses up to 52 - the figure the Department of Health said would be needed in Essex to cope with demand for the service.

The spokeswoman said ideally extra nurses should have been employed before the busy holiday period.

Since being launched last February, callers to NHS Direct have been put through to specially-trained nurses before being given basic medical advice, being referred to their GP or given emergency help.

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