Health bosses last night insisted Oxfordshire wasn’t running out of drugs to treat swine flu.

Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust moved to reassure the public after it admitted it was no longer able to confirm the number of people in the county who had the disease.

On July 6, it said 52 people in Oxfordshire had swine flu.

But in the second week of the month alone, 100,000 new cases were confirmed nationally.

Dr Jonathan McWilliam, Oxfordshire director of public health, said: “In line with the Government’s decision on July 2 to move from containment and outbreak management policies to the treatment phase, we will no longer be able to comment on or confirm the number of cases within the county.

“The move from the containment to the treatment phase means that, as swine flu spreads and more people start to catch it, it makes sense to move from intensive efforts to contain the virus to focusing efforts on treating the increasing number of people who have the disease.

“Cases are being diagnosed on the basis of clinical observation rather than laboratory testing. Everyone who has flu-like symptoms will be assessed and, if diagnosed with swine flu, will be offered an antiviral medicine to manage their illness.

“Due to this change in diagnosis (from swabbing and laboratory testing to clinical discretion), the PCT will no longer be able to provide a breakdown at county level of new cases.”

Dr McWilliam said no one in Oxfordshire had died from the disease.

He said: “In very rare cases, as with seasonal flu, even healthy people with no underlying health problems can have a severe reaction and can unfortunately die.

“However, this is extremely rare. Currently, most people’s experience of the disease is that it is mild and treatable.”

Asked if pharmacies in the county were running out of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, Dr McWilliam stressed: “No, that is not true.

“We have high stocks of Tamiflu and are happy we have enough to meet demands.”

On July 17, the PCT opened antiviral collection points (ACPs) in Oxford and Banbury.

A further two have now opened in Didcot and Witney.

Dr McWilliam said: “The ACPs are opening to help with the distribution of antiviral medication and to ease pressures on out-of-hours services.

“It’s important for the public to understand no one with swine flu or flu like symptoms should go directly to an ACP, to their GP or any hospital.

“If you have flu-like symptoms, please check your symptoms online at nhsdirect.nhs.uk and if you are still concerned, stay at home and call your GP.

“If they say you have swine flu they will give you a voucher number which your flu-friend (the person caring for you) can use to pick up antiviral drugs from the local ACP.”

A vaccine for swine flu is expected to arrive in the autumn, although it is expected to take months to distribute.