Flu cases put Tas hospital under pressure

The overloaded Royal Hobart Hospital is postponing elective surgery and encouraging only emergency patients to present as it battles a bed shortage.

A sudden spike in influenza cases has put added pressure on the hospital's emergency department, Tasmanian Health Service spokeswoman Coral Paton says.

"The public is being urged to seek treatment from alternate healthcare providers, such as the private system or their general practitioner, unless they are experiencing a medical emergency," she said, adding that urgent cases will be dealt with on a priority basis and the situation is not expected to last more than a few days.