Scottish winter flu death total hits 18

FIVE more patients in Scotland have died with flu, bringing the total this winter to 18, figures show.

Health Protection Scotland also revealed that eight more patients with flu had been admitted to intensive care, with 65 treated in total since the start of the flu season.

But the agency said that rates of people seeing their GP with flu-like symptoms remained within levels expected for this time of year.

Uptake of the flu vaccine has also been high, with increases in pregnant women taking up the jab.

Rates of flu vary from year to year, but this winter has already seen more flu admissions and deaths than the last flu season when a total of 17 intensive care admissions and five deaths were reported.