NHS West Essex is urging suspected swine flu sufferers to find a "flu friend" to collect medicine for them as the number of infected in the district is predicted to rise.

There have been a dozen confirmed cases in West Essex and numbers are expected to climb nationwide in the coming months.

Swine Flu, also known as the H1N1 virus has already killed 700 people worldwide, including 16 in the UK.

Now people suspected of suffering from the virus- whose symptoms are similar to influenza, are being urged to stay at home to limit the spread of the disease.

They are asked to find a "flu friend", who can pick up their antiviral medicine, if required, from one of the districts four designated pharmacies.

NHS West Essex director of public health Alison Cowie said: "We are well-prepared to deal with increasing numbers of swine flu cases.

"It is important to note that the majority of cases in the UK have been mild and self-limiting though in a small number of cases it has proved more severe. In most of these cases the people were suffering from underlying health conditions."

If you think you have swine flu, you should stay at home, and go online and check your symptoms on the symptom checker at www.nhs.uk.

Call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or the swine flu information line on 0800 1 513 513.

If you are still concerned, you should then call your GP, who can provide a diagnosis over the phone.