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UK - AVIAN FLU EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
AVIAN FLU EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
The annual report from the chief medical officer highlights continuing planning for the potential of avian flu outbreaks and the necessary response which the NHS will need to bring to bear. The NHS challenges are reported to be:
? Creating additional capacity and optimsing its use, in both primary and secondary care as well as the social care sector.
? Continuing to provide essential health services for those with unrelated emergency health needs.
? Adopting measures to slow or stop the spread of infection during the course of the pandemic.
? Providing clear and consistent public health messages.
? Supplementing the healthcare workforce, deploying it flexibly and fully utilising individual potential and skills.
? Devising effective mechanisms for rapid access to antiviral medication and other essential drugs.
? Maintaining essential supplies to enable the NHS to continue to function.
? Enabling a sustained response for 12- 15 weeks.
? Providing integrated plans with all related agencies and stakeholders.
The article reminds us that a key element of the UK response will be to ensure that the majority of patients will be able to manage themselves at home. Required will be a major communications programme to advise and guide patients on their own management. The chief medical officer also highlights some of the ethical dilemmas which will face local planners, as they identify their proposals.
He implies that all the local plans will be made within the national framework and that professionals and the public need to address the issues well in advance of a pandemic. (See: Planning for a Rising Tide. CMO Annual Report 2005).
? Creating additional capacity and optimsing its use, in both primary and secondary care as well as the social care sector.
? Continuing to provide essential health services for those with unrelated emergency health needs.
? Adopting measures to slow or stop the spread of infection during the course of the pandemic.
? Providing clear and consistent public health messages.
? Supplementing the healthcare workforce, deploying it flexibly and fully utilising individual potential and skills.
? Devising effective mechanisms for rapid access to antiviral medication and other essential drugs.
? Maintaining essential supplies to enable the NHS to continue to function.
? Enabling a sustained response for 12- 15 weeks.
? Providing integrated plans with all related agencies and stakeholders.
The article reminds us that a key element of the UK response will be to ensure that the majority of patients will be able to manage themselves at home. Required will be a major communications programme to advise and guide patients on their own management. The chief medical officer also highlights some of the ethical dilemmas which will face local planners, as they identify their proposals.
He implies that all the local plans will be made within the national framework and that professionals and the public need to address the issues well in advance of a pandemic. (See: Planning for a Rising Tide. CMO Annual Report 2005).
Looks like a big exercise,not taken lightly.
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