Health chiefs have turned to an unlikely source to help combat the rise of flu as hospital figures soar across the north and north-east.
The region has been badly affected by a recent outbreak of a potentially deadly strain of the virus, which has piled pressure on emergency departments since Christmas.
NHS Grampian has now recruited a group of Aberdeen schoolchildren in an effort to highlight the best ways to handle the condition.
Pupils from Broomhill and Cults primary schools have recorded a new video, which will be shown on TV and across social media, to remind people that antibiotics do not work on viral illnesses like the cold and flu.
The youngsters dressed up as pensioners and doctors for the advert, and held boards saying “antibiotics don’t work” to hammer the message home.
Dr Stephen Lynch visited Broomhill Primary School yesterday to meet the pupils involved.
The GP, who works at the city’s Calsayseat practice, said: “There is a harmful misconception that these illnesses will be helped by an antibiotic.
“We want to impart the message that patients can help themselves by resting, taking plenty of fluid, using paracetamol and by getting advice from their local pharmacy.
“Pharmacists can provide over-the-counter remedies to relieve symptoms.”
The campaign comes days after a massive surge in flu patients forced health chiefs at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness to suspend around 60 surgery cases and stop all visiting without special permission.
Dozens of extra flu cases are being treated at hospitals all over the north – with more than 40 in Raigmore alone – placing the hospital under “significant pressure”.
The crisis is expected to continue into February, with Dr Ken McDonald raising fears that numbers could be yet to peak.
And over the festive period, there was a “code red” situation declared at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary as a surge of flu patients stretched staff.
Patients with the bug were urged to stay away from emergency departments, and visitors were told to steer clear “if at all unwell”.
Health professionals said there were fewer than a handful of beds available in the Aberdeen emergency care centre at one point.
But Dr Lynch said he was confident that his counterparts at the hospital now had matters in hand.
Meanwhile, the Scottish Conservatives highlighted research yesterday which showed that A&E departments were actually often busier in May and June than during the festive period.
In NHS Grampian hospitals, there were 7,836 attendances in December, compared to 8,047 in May and 8,044 in June, while in NHS Highland there were 4,484 in December compared to 4,972 in May and 5,090 in June.
Across Scotland, in the month of December, there were 107,328 A&E patients, compared to 108,420 in June and almost 110,000 in May.
Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett said the figures left a “huge question mark over the excuses we have heard in recent days” from the Scottish Government.
