Swine flu consultations fell by over 30% last week, suggesting the first wave of the pandemic is now over, government figures show

Cases are still expected to rise in the winter, England`s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, explained in an interview.

Latest figures from the DoH show that GP consultations for influenza-like illness now stand at 21.1 per 100,000, compared with 30.9 per 100,000 last week. This means rates are now below seasonal flu baseline activity levels in winter.

At a media briefing, Ian Dalton, England`s director for flu resilience, said that no agreement had yet been reached regarding payment for a vaccination campaign, but that discussions were ongoing between the BMA and the DoH.