Report due on UK swine flu response

[tetano]

An independent review is to give its verdict on the UK's response to swine flu.

The Department of Health-commissioned report will also make recommendations for dealing with future outbreaks of the virus which killed hundreds of people across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The study chaired by Dame Deirdre Hine, a former Chief Medical Officer for Wales, comes amid claims the threat caused by the H1N1 virus was overexaggerated.

Last month an MP claimed that billions of pounds were wasted worldwide on buying drugs to combat swine flu.

Welsh Labour MP Paul Flynn, who produced a report on the swine flu response for the Council of Europe, accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of frightening "the whole world with the possibility that a major plague was on the way".

He told the BBC: "The result of that was that the world spent billions and billions of pounds on vaccines and anti-virals that will never be used. It is a huge waste of money."

Dame Deirdre's review looks at the strategic approach to swine flu at UK level and the central decision-making rather than the operational responses in each nation or the actions of departments or agencies.

When the review was launched in March, the Department of Health said there were 457 reported and confirmed swine flu related deaths across the UK.

The announcement said a review was normal procedure following a major emergency event. Just days later the WHO announced an independent review to assess its response to the outbreak.

Despite the criticism that the UK Government over-reacted to the outbreak Sir Liam Donaldson, the Government's Chief Medical Officer through the crisis, said pandemic flu plans worked "extremely well" and he was very pleased with how the NHS rose to the challenge.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jKU5XtdjltGR82D-QFOLTYXS1Alw

[tetano]

Re: Report due on UK swine flu response

The NI Health Minister has welcomed the recommendations of an independent review into the swine flu pandemic.

The UK spent ?1.2bn preparing for and responding to the virus, which Dame Deirdre Hine's report described as "proportionate and effective".

Inflexible contracts signed by the government meant that the UK was left with vaccines it did not need.

The report said that the government and devolved administrations must avoid complacency.

Michael McGimpsey said he wants to see how the recommendations can been built into future pandemic planning.

"I welcome the independent review which has found that our preparations were soundly based in terms of value for money, and reflect the low cost of vaccination in relation to the value of lives saved.

"We have to remember that, whilst this pandemic was not as virulent as we first feared, for many it caused serious illness and we should not forget those that lost their lives."

There were 457 reported and confirmed swine flu-related deaths across the UK between the outbreak in April last year and March this year.

Eighteen people died as a result of swine flu in Northern Ireland and two others passed away while on holiday abroad.

Dame Deirdre Hine also made a number of recommendations in the report to inform future planning.

"The UK was fortunate that the pandemic was, in general, mild and self-limiting.

"However, another pandemic is no less likely just because we have experienced this one, and could be much more severe," she added.

"The government and devolved administrations must avoid complacency and build on the strengths of their response while learning from the lessons I have identified."

Each of the devolved administrations developed its own pandemic preparedness plan, consistent with the UK-wide National Framework, to reflect its own particular circumstances.

In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is the lead department for pandemic preparedness and response.

But major organisational changes in Northern Ireland health care provisions came into place on 1 April 2009, just weeks before the outbreak of the pandemic.

Mr McGimpsey said the coordinated response was effective and allowed the UK to move together at key points.

"It is encouraging that the report commends the approach taken by the four Health Ministers to the swine flu threat.

"Finally I wish to echo Dame Deirdre sentiments and pay tribute to those in our Health Service and public health staff who led the response to this pandemic and protected our public."

Each of the devolved administrations developed its own pandemic preparedness plan, consistent with the UK-wide national framework, to reflect its own particular circumstances.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/10473460.stm

[Michael Coston]

Re: Report due on UK swine flu response

The report, The 2009 Influenza Pandemic, is a 1 Mb PDF File and is now available to download

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/416533/the2009influenzapandemic-review.pdf

[tetano]

Re: Report due on UK swine flu response

Published 5 July 2010, doi:10.1136/bmj.c3569
Cite this as: BMJ 2010;341:c3569

BMJ: UK response to H1N1 pandemic was highly satisfactory, independent review says


The United Kingdom’s response to the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, which cost £1.2bn ({euro}1.5bn; $1.8bn), was highly satisfactory and good value for money, concludes an independent review. But any purchasing for future pandemics should allow greater flexibility, it adds.

The review, by Deirdrie Hine, a former chief medical officer for Wales, says that preparations, including stockpiling drugs and plans to buy up to 132 million doses of vaccine, were "soundly based in terms of value for money, reflecting the inherently low cost of vaccination in relation to the value of lives saved."

Around £1bn was spent on pharmaceuticals, including antivirals, antibiotics, and vaccines. More than 30 million doses of vaccine are believed to be left over, as the swine flu pandemic virus proved far milder in its effects than expected.

Dame Deirdrie said that lessons needed to be learnt for future pandemics. She said that UK health departments should . . .

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/341/jul05_1/c3569?rss=1&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20bmj/recent%20%28Latest%20from%20BMJ%29