Jools and Ian Payne with their children Holly, 13, Max, 16 and Naomi, 18.

A Shropshire mother whose son acted as pall bearer at the funeral of tragic Oswestry schoolgirl Charlotte Hartey has described the one-size-fits-all diagnosis of swine flu as a “travesty”.

Charlotte, 16, of Weston Rhyn, died after her tonsillitis was misdiagnosed as swine flu. Shropshire Star swine flu diarist Jools Payne, who lives near Oswestry, spoke out after returning from a family holiday.

She said: “Our trip to France was overshadowed by the loss of our son Max’s dear friend, Charlotte.

“They were great chums and should have been holidaying together with Charlotte’s family in Greece.

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“Instead, Max was acting as a pall bearer at Charlotte’s funeral. It is a gut wrenchingly awful time. We feel so sad.

“It is almost inconceivable that a sophisticated country like ours could come up with a one-size-fits-all call centre solution to the swine flu issue. It is not a solution.

“It is an absolute travesty that totally diminishes the credibility of the NHS – a wonderful institution for all its faults and failings.”

Meanwhile public sector worker Steve Tyrer, 34, who lives in Lawley, Telford, with his wife Collette and daughters Dayna, Jorja and Kiera, says that swine flu is still very much a talking point in his family.

He says: “Collette, Dayna, Jorja and Kiera returned from their holiday in Wales after an enjoyable time, except for Collette who managed to drop a paving slab on her foot.

“On her return she booked an appointment at the doctors and when she went to the surgery she noticed that there were swine flu notices and antibacterial hand gel in the waiting room, which people were using.

“The doctor advised her to attend A&E for an X-ray to check that she had not broken any bones in her foot, which luckily she had not.

“However, she was very surprised that in A&E she did not see any antibacterial hand gel in the corridors or when first entering A&E.”

Shrewsbury College lecturer John Kertland, 47, who has recently returned from holiday with his wife and children, says: “Yesterday in the town centre I overheard a woman whose family apparently had all had the virus.

“Also, many of her friends also had gone down with the ‘flu’. Considering this. I must admit that none of my family members have gone down with the virus.”

By Ben Bentley