Only one local GP reporting on flu numbers

Only one GP practice is regularly reporting flu numbers.

Northland health officials don't know how many flu cases there have been as only one GP practice is regularly reporting them, with some arguing it made it difficult to see if the immunisation campaign was having any impact.

However, health officials said if there was a "significant event", like a flu outbreak, they would find out through other avenues, despite the lack of data.

There have been 46 hospital admissions from influenza in Northland since May, with three requiring time in intensive care. However, it was unclear how many more cases there have been which have not required hospital admission because of the lack of GP reporting.

"Unfortunately, limited Northland practices are included in the surveillance which means we have limited Northland community specific data," a Northland District Health Board spokeswoman said.

Northland medical officer of health Clair Mills said out of the 41 practices in Northland, only one in Whangarei had signed on. That was up from zero reporting last year, with the highest in the past being four or five practices- but usually in a same area. She said the region's consistently low numbers had been "a bit embarrassing".

"We recognise that it is extra work but, at the same time, it's providing useful information about what's happening in the community that we can't get through any other source," Dr Mills said.

While she had reached out to the primary health organisations for volunteers earlier in the year there was little response, with GPs seemingly unwilling to add extra work to their busy practices. GP practices around the country were asked to volunteer weekly reports on the number of influenza cases to the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), who work on behalf of the Ministry of Health. Northland, along with Tairawhiti, had the lowest number of GPs reporting with just one. The most was Canterbury with 15. It comes after a recent push by the District Health Board for people to immunise against flu.

No Forced Vaccines spokeswoman Katherine Smith said it was disappointing only one Northland GP was reporting.

"The lack of reporting does mean that it will be difficult to assess whether or not the increased promotion of influenza vaccinations is actually helping to reduce illness."

The data was used by ESR to determine geographic distribution of illness, detect epidemics/define a problem and facilitate planning, among other things.

ESR rejected the suggestion an outbreak in Northland could go undetected for a number of weeks.

"It is not a concern as any major issues would be picked up through hospital reporting and local health networks," an ESR spokesman said.

Dr Mills said part of the reluctance to report to ESR was because it required more work during the GPs busiest time of the year.