Probe into city's swine flu cases

Welford Primary School shut because of the virus in May

An inquiry is being held into swine flu in Birmingham, which has seen one of the country's biggest outbreaks.

Birmingham City Council is considering what lessons can be learned and what action needs to be taken if there is a more virulent strain of the virus.

Birmingham was the first place in the UK to move to the "treatment phase".

BBC Midlands Today health correspondent Michele Paduano said there are concerns about the Health Protection Agency's handling of the city's outbreak.

He said there were concerns about schools who had struggled to get hold of information from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and whether the HPA came into the schools to deal with things.

New approach

The HPA said it had been working hard with schools and would continue to do so.

Welford Primary, in Handsworth, shut in May with nearly 200 people connected to the school diagnosed with the virus.

And last month Birmingham became the first place in the UK to move to the "treatment phase" after health officials said it could no longer be contained in the city.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham told the House of Commons on Thursday the rest of the UK would be moving to this approach in the virus which means health officials would no longer test everyone with symptoms.

More than 2,420 people have already contracted swine flu in the West Midlands.