Call for universal programme to reduce RSV pressure on NHS
The viral illness has cost the Liverpool City Region's NHS most than £3million in the past financial year alone.
A Liverpool doctor is calling for a universal programme to protect young people from a respiratory illness that's placing a huge burden on the NHS.
In the Liverpool City Region alone, RSV has cost the health service most than £3million in the past financial year.
Across the NHS, it's estimated that RSV results in 467,000 GP visits and 34,000 hospital admissions annually, costing £92million to manage - with 65% of that happening in just three months of the winter season.
Many GPs believe the illness places unsustainable pressure on paediatric intensive care beds, resulting in a detrimental impact on their abilities to carry out elective procedures.
Dr. Paul McNamara, Professor in Child Health at the University of Liverpool, said:
"We're just coming to the end of the RSV season at the moment in Alder Hey (hospital) in Liverpool and we've had hundreds of babies coming through our doors with RSV infections. It's a big problem locally.
"Estimates are that (a universal programme) can reduce hospitalisations by about 75% of the illness and the impact on GP visits as well so it would make an enormous difference.
"It would reduce stress to parents, it would reduce time off work for parents - it would have an enormous impact."
The government has been contacted for comment.