New intensive care equipment has been installed at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital which will help treat patients who are critically ill with swine flu.

It comes as figures showed the numbers of people attending GP surgeries across Shropshire and the West Midlands with flu-like symptoms increased over the last week.

There have also been two more swine-flu related deaths in the region, though they are not believed to be in Shropshire.

The total number of deaths in the West Midlands where there has been a positive test for the virus, now stands at 13.

The new equipment was installed at the RSH following a £75,000 donation from the hospital’s League of Friends.

Dr Alastair Windsor, anaesthetic and intensive care consultant, said two ventilators designed to cope with injured lungs and which can be used to support patients for prolonged periods, have been bought, along with a ventilator that can be used to gradually allow patients to recover their own ability to breath.

Dr Windsor said: “This is equipment that will be heavily utilised on a busy ITU.

“It also strengthens our ITU’s ability to cope with an increased number of sick patients if we have more admissions due to swine flu this winter.”

There have been 113 swine flu admissions to regional hospitals this week, compared with 85 last week.