A Bedfordshire GP and a six-year-old girl have died after suffering from swine flu.
Dr Michael Day died at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital and a test revealed he had contracted the virus. However, it is not yet known whether he had any underlying health conditions which may have caused his death.
As family, friends and colleagues come to terms with his sudden death, a post-mortem will be carried out to determine the exact cause, and any patients or practice staff who have been in recent contact with him are being assessed.
NHS Bedfordshire chairwoman Sarah Boulton said everyone was “shocked and saddened” at news of the “sudden death” of Dr Day.
She said: “On behalf of all the staff at NHS Bedfordshire, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his family and also to the staff who worked so closely with him.”
Dr Day’s death comes after Chloe Buckley, from north west London, also died from the virus at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington.
A post-mortem will be carried out to determine if she had any underlying health conditions – other than swine flu – that might have caused her death.
Copyright © Press Association 2009
