THE winter vomiting disease (WVD) sweeping Britain has struck Kent with a vengeance. Some doctors in the county are so overwhelmed they cannot see every patient and have to give advice over the phone to the less seriously ill.

The Marlow Park Medical Centre in Strood had 92 patients with the gastric virus in three days this week. Dr Ash Hussain said: "We had 36 cases on Monday, 29 on Tuesday and 27 on Wednesday. The situation is worse than last year and I think it is because of the mild winter weather we are having. During freezing temperature the bacteria is killed off."

Dr Geri McKeever, of the St Werburgh Medical Practice in Hoo, said in one day her surgery dealt with 27 cases - 50 per cent of the unbooked patients seen on Monday. Out of 1,986 patents seen since January 1, 50 per cent had acute winter illnesses ranging from winter vomiting disease to chesty coughs and sore throats.

She said: "We cannot cope with the number of patients we are expected to see and therefore we would ask people with the milder conditions not to come in. They should stay at home and take paracetamol and decongestant drinks, and they can get advice from us over the phone."

"Obviously that's not ideal but thatÕs all we can do. We have a general shortage of doctors in Medway as it is. Obviously we will always see children and the elderly - they are at greater risk of dehydration."

Jacqueline Geoghegan, director of nursing at Medway Maritime Hospital, said: "We are not aware of any cases of WVD reaching the hospital so far. But if we do have an influx of patients seriously ill with this condition, we have contingency plans."

Winter vomiting disease results in both vomiting and diarrhoea, but the Public Health Laboratory Service stresses that it is not usually fatal. The advice given for people with WVD is:

* Keep warm and stay in bed.

* Starve yourself for 24 hours and only take sips of fluid, preferably through a straw.

* Take no milk or dairy products.

* When you can eat again, gradually build up to the regular meals you take.

* If vomiting does not eventually settle, contact your doctor and a prescription can be given over the phone.