AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
(Read the "ten tips.... below)
http://www.hospital-doctor.net/hd_news/hd_news_article.asp?ID=17051&Section=News
<TABLE cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=440 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=435 height=11><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=435 bgColor=#336666 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center noWrap align=right bgColor=#336666 height=4>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]28/09/06[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Pandemic plan 'dilemma' [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Lisa Hitchen
The Government's faith in its stockpile of antiviral drugs to combat pandemic flu has been criticised by public health experts at Hospital Doctor's conference this week.
Civil unrest could result from a public desperate to receive their share of the 14.6 million courses stockpiled if a pandemic were to strike within three years as predicted.
Prof John Oxford, professor of virology at Barts and the London NHS Trust, advised that antivirals should be given to the families of anyone diagnosed with pandemic flu, but with only enough for 25 per cent of the population it would be impossible. 'This is a dilemma,' he said.
Dr Hilary Pickles, director of public health for Hillingdon Primary Care Trust told delegates that 'we are currently planning for an experiment in mass therapy, with little time for feedback on side effects'.
'There are also uncertain delivery mechanisms, which risk violence and resentment because oseltamivir is seen as a wonder drug with not enough to go round,' she said.
But the Government's flu planning tsar hit back at critics, saying that resources had to be distributed carefully and that the high profile of pandemic flu could help get important public health messages across to the public.
Prof Lindsey Davies, natio-nal director of pandemic flu preparedness, said: 'We have got to be realistic about how much funds and what trained personnel are likely to be available. That is one of the things we have got to consider amongst all the other priorities,' she said.
The DoH plans a publicity campaign on hygiene this autumn, but it has yet to resolve issues such as who should get antivirals during a pandemic and how they should be given.
A revised pandemic flu plan is currently being developed, but Prof Davies could not confirm if extra funding for critical care contingency planning would be included. <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O
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Ten tips on pandemic flu planning
1. 1 - Lessons from the past are not always learned - we must do better than with Foot and Mouth and SARS
2. 2 - It won't go according to plan - biological, political and economic impact will be complex
3. 3 - Keep a sense of proportion - most people will survive
4. 4 - Not just a health issue - businesses will suffer
5. 5 - Lots of heroes out there - people will outperform expectations
6. 6 - Communication will falter - we need tried and tested systems for contacting staff
7. 7 - The media loves disasters - can be good as well as bad
8. 8 - Good enough is good enough - less than perfect care and rationing is inevitable
9. 9 - Low tech is reliable - hygiene as important as oseltamivir
10. 10 - Involve the public - be honest and open
Source: Hilary Pickles, Hospital Doctor Pandemic Flu conference, <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:CITY><ST1LACE>London</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> <O></O>
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Most believe NHS could not cope
The NHS could not cope with a flu pandemic on the scale of the 1918 'Spanish flu' epidemic, doctors believe.
Almost 70 per cent of the 1,061 respondents to a Hospital Doctor/Medix survey said the health service would not cope with such a large pandemic.
Half the respondents also believe medical staff would refuse to attend work if mortality from pandemic flu was high.
Dr John Barnes, a consultant psychiatrist in <ST1:CITY><ST1LACE>Somerset</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> who is medical representative on his trust's planning committee, said the NHS was taking workforce planning seriously.
He said: 'The emphasis has mainly been on how we will get enough staff to keep the organisation running, rather than the clinical aspects of managing the disease.'
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[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
http://www.hospital-doctor.net/hd_news/hd_news_article.asp?ID=17051&Section=News
<TABLE cellSpacing=4 cellPadding=1 width=440 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=435 height=11><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=435 bgColor=#336666 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=center noWrap align=right bgColor=#336666 height=4>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]28/09/06[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Pandemic plan 'dilemma' [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By Lisa Hitchen
The Government's faith in its stockpile of antiviral drugs to combat pandemic flu has been criticised by public health experts at Hospital Doctor's conference this week.
Civil unrest could result from a public desperate to receive their share of the 14.6 million courses stockpiled if a pandemic were to strike within three years as predicted.
Prof John Oxford, professor of virology at Barts and the London NHS Trust, advised that antivirals should be given to the families of anyone diagnosed with pandemic flu, but with only enough for 25 per cent of the population it would be impossible. 'This is a dilemma,' he said.
Dr Hilary Pickles, director of public health for Hillingdon Primary Care Trust told delegates that 'we are currently planning for an experiment in mass therapy, with little time for feedback on side effects'.
'There are also uncertain delivery mechanisms, which risk violence and resentment because oseltamivir is seen as a wonder drug with not enough to go round,' she said.
But the Government's flu planning tsar hit back at critics, saying that resources had to be distributed carefully and that the high profile of pandemic flu could help get important public health messages across to the public.
Prof Lindsey Davies, natio-nal director of pandemic flu preparedness, said: 'We have got to be realistic about how much funds and what trained personnel are likely to be available. That is one of the things we have got to consider amongst all the other priorities,' she said.
The DoH plans a publicity campaign on hygiene this autumn, but it has yet to resolve issues such as who should get antivirals during a pandemic and how they should be given.
A revised pandemic flu plan is currently being developed, but Prof Davies could not confirm if extra funding for critical care contingency planning would be included. <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O /><O
></O><?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = U1 /><U1
> </U1>Ten tips on pandemic flu planning
1. 1 - Lessons from the past are not always learned - we must do better than with Foot and Mouth and SARS
2. 2 - It won't go according to plan - biological, political and economic impact will be complex
3. 3 - Keep a sense of proportion - most people will survive
4. 4 - Not just a health issue - businesses will suffer
5. 5 - Lots of heroes out there - people will outperform expectations
6. 6 - Communication will falter - we need tried and tested systems for contacting staff
7. 7 - The media loves disasters - can be good as well as bad
8. 8 - Good enough is good enough - less than perfect care and rationing is inevitable
9. 9 - Low tech is reliable - hygiene as important as oseltamivir
10. 10 - Involve the public - be honest and open
Source: Hilary Pickles, Hospital Doctor Pandemic Flu conference, <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 /><ST1:CITY><ST1
LACE>London</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> <O></O><U1
> </U1>Most believe NHS could not cope
The NHS could not cope with a flu pandemic on the scale of the 1918 'Spanish flu' epidemic, doctors believe.
Almost 70 per cent of the 1,061 respondents to a Hospital Doctor/Medix survey said the health service would not cope with such a large pandemic.
Half the respondents also believe medical staff would refuse to attend work if mortality from pandemic flu was high.
Dr John Barnes, a consultant psychiatrist in <ST1:CITY><ST1
LACE>Somerset</ST1LACE></ST1:CITY> who is medical representative on his trust's planning committee, said the NHS was taking workforce planning seriously.He said: 'The emphasis has mainly been on how we will get enough staff to keep the organisation running, rather than the clinical aspects of managing the disease.'
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></O><U1
> </U1>[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>