A spike in winter illnesses is putting pressure on all parts of the health system, from GPs to emergency departments and ambulance services. Auckland's just had its worst 7-days for flu hospitalisations in a decade, with 177 people admitted with severe acute respiratory illness - up from 125 the week prior. On Wednesday, free health advice service Healthline fielded more than 1300 calls in a day - a jump from the typical 700 to 1000. Mangawhai Pharmacy director Lanny Wong spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
