The national swine flu helpline is being launched today and it will enable anyone with the checklist of influenza symptoms to get a coded number for a prescription of Tamiflu. You will also be able to use a website that provides a voucher number for an individual dose of the drug.

Andy Burnham introduced the initiative, hoping it will ease the workload of staff in doctors' surgeries and hosptials. He has stressed that the service will use an "encryption code" which will only allow one prescription per person.

Would you use the service, rather than making a trip to see your GP? And do you trust others not to abuse the system, visiting the website to get a Tamiflu prescription when they don't really need it?