Cherie Blair has suspected swine flu, it was revealed today. The former Prime Minister’s wife has pulled out of a series of public engagements while she battles the illness.

It is understood she was identified as likely to have the virus on Tuesday.

Ex-premier Tony Blair and the couple’s children have not shown any signs of being infected.

Mrs Blair has been given a course of Tamiflu and told to rest.

The QC had been due to pick up an honorary degree at Liverpool’s Hope University today, and also cancelled a staff barbecue to ensure the virus was not passed on.

The news came as GPs reported a 50 per cent rise in the numbers of people contacting them in the last week with fears they have swine flu.

About 40,000 people a week in England and Wales are now complaining to their doctor of “flu-like illness”, with a huge rise in the number of young children being affected.

But today a leading Shropshire family doctor said that although practices were under increasing pressure they were “on top” of the situation.

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There are also no immediate plans in Shropshire to open distribution centres for anti-viral drugs.

Figures from the Royal College of GPs’ monitoring system, showed 50.3 people per 100,000 were reporting flu-like illness between June 29 and July 5.

But this leapt 46 per cent to 73.4 people per 100,000 between July 6 and 12.

Almost one in eight workers are likely to be kept at home with the virus in the next few weeks, according to latest Government figures which are due to be released today.