The Conservatives have criticised the government's handling of the swine flu pandemic, arguing that the new helpline should have been set up much earlier.
The party's health spokesman, Mark Simmonds, said that the National Flu Pandemic Service, which went live in England yesterday, should have been launched when the World Health Organisation announced that the flu outbreak had officially become a pandemic.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The fact that the website crashed yesterday within two to five minutes of it being up and running I think is a function of the fact it wasn't up earlier."
The new service allows thousands of sufferers to obtain antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu without needing to consult a GP.
The party's criticism came as doctors warned that intensive care units in England could be overwhelmed by the virus.
It is feared that demand for intensive care beds could exceed supply by 130 per cent in some areas, while demand for ventilators could outstrip supply by 20 per cent.
A pregnant woman critically ill with swine flu was yesterday transferred to Sweden. The 26-year-old Scot was flown to Stockholm because no beds were available for the specialist treatment she required.
The Scottish health secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "Doctors are pleased with how she has coped with the journey.
"This woman has suffered severe complications and requires urgent and highly specialised treatment.
"It is therefore absolutely right that she is transferred to Sweden for treatment which could save her life."
