Schools in Wandsworth are drawing-up contingency plans in the event swine flu means they can’t open after the summer break.

Last week medical experts said prolonged school closures could reduce the scale of the outbreak by 17 per cent and, at the pandemic's peak, shutting schools could see the number of cases fall by 38-45 per cent.

A Wandsworth Council spokesman said current advice from the Heath Protection Agency (HPA) was that schools should open as normal in September, and it would advise parents and schools if that guidance changed.

But, he said: “There are contingency plans to maintain education provision during a prolonged school closure and we are working with the HPA, schools and the Department for Children, Schools and families to ensure our strategy is effective and up to date.”

The borough’s health authority, NHS Wandsworth, said cases locally remained lower than average. A spokeswoman said: “Although rates of influenza-like illnesses are significantly higher than they were this time last year, Wandsworth rates which currently stand at 221.7 per 100,000, remain lower than the London average of 310.3 per 100,000.“ She added most cases have been mild with most people making a full recovery after taking over-the-counter flu medication.

The spokeswoman said the new National Pandemic Flu Service, which was launched last week, would cut the number of people with swine flu symptoms needing to see a GP, leaving them more time to concentrate on those in “high risk” groups, such as pregnant women and those with underlying health problems.

Dolphin School in Battersea had to shut in May after two pupils contracted the virus You can access the National Pandemic Flu Service online at direct.gov.uk /pandemicflu or by phone on 0800 513 100.

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