New photo Flu test that can diagnose patients in 20 minutes could save the NHS £24million and reduce bed-blocking

A NEW test that can diagnose flu in 20 minutes could save the NHS £24million a year across England, experts say.

A throat swab analysed on an on-site computer can detect 43 strains of the virus and help A&E staff decide how to process and treat sufferers.

Science Photo Library

The throat swab can detect 43 strains of the virus and help A&E staff decide how to process and treat sufferers[/caption]

Medics previously had to wait several days for results to come through — meaning patients often took up valuable bed space unnecessarily when put into isolation.

Now, those infected can be isolated, while others may be sent home.

Trials of the cobas Liat test at two hospital trusts in Norfolk and London found it can reduce admissions and bed blocking.

Berenice Constable, from Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This has had a big impact on improving timely treatment for patients and helped to ensure that beds are not closed unnecessarily.”

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Flu hits up to one in ten adults and one in three children every year.

The virus was behind a record 520,163 emergency hospital admissions last December. But a delay in ordering vaccines has led to shortages this winter.

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News Pictures Flu test that can diagnose patients in 20 minutes could save the NHS £24million and reduce bed-blocking

You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!

TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st

To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.

Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”

Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”

kim cattrall

Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb

SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.

Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
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