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20/07/2009
Swine Flu Phone Service Revealed
Details of a new swine flu advice service has been outlined today.
The National Pandemic Flu Service will operate in England as the latest move in the fight against swine flu.
The flu line is a phone and internet service that uses a checklist to diagnose whether people may or may not have swine flu and can then give them access to anti-flu drugs if necessary.
From the start, there will be up to 2,000 people manning the call centres, while, by the Autumn, this will be able to be increased to cope with surges in demand.
However, the government is insistent it is fully capable of doing the job it is aimed for in the immediate future - relieving the pressure on GPs.
UK Health Secretary Andy Burnham is outlining his programme to tackle the developing medical crisis amid criticism and government in-fighting which is believed to have delayed its launch.
Amongst others, the Liberal Democrats said government departments' in-fighting led to the hotline being launched six months late.
However, the government said the aim is simply to help relieve the pressure on 'frontline' NHS staff.
Mr Burnham commented today: "Technology to launch the service has been available for some time.
"But with the latest figures and drawing on advice from the field we have now reached a point where this service is required.
"To act any sooner would have been a distraction to health staff dealing with it."
He was speaking in the face of claims of conflicting advice to pregnant women, and also denied that the guidance had changed since the start of the outbreak.
Some reports at the weekend suggested that women should even consider not getting pregnant and those that already are should avoid crowded places.
But Mr Burnham said the official advice was that people should only reconsider unnecessary travel and being in very crowded places.
But he added the advice was "not hard and fast" and said people should use their own judgement and get on with their lives and enjoy the summer.
Twenty-nine people have now died in the UK after contracting swine flu - 26 in England and three in Scotland.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have all decided to stay out of the service as the demands being placed on health staff are not as great.
That is even though Scotland saw the first case of swine flu and had the first death, as the country is not seeing the 'exceptional' levels of demand seen in every region of England apart from the Yorkshire and the Humber.
Some single GP practices in London have actually seen more cases than the whole of Wales or Northern Ireland.
In Wales, there has only been 67 confirmed cases, while Northern Ireland has even fewer.
Also, GPs in all three nations do not tend to have such large patient lists as in England, leaving them more able to cope with fluctuating demand.
Meanwhile, GPs - although warning it needed to be well funded - welcomed the FluLine phone and internet advice proposals.
(BMcC/KMcA)
The National Pandemic Flu Service will operate in England as the latest move in the fight against swine flu.
The flu line is a phone and internet service that uses a checklist to diagnose whether people may or may not have swine flu and can then give them access to anti-flu drugs if necessary.
From the start, there will be up to 2,000 people manning the call centres, while, by the Autumn, this will be able to be increased to cope with surges in demand.
However, the government is insistent it is fully capable of doing the job it is aimed for in the immediate future - relieving the pressure on GPs.
UK Health Secretary Andy Burnham is outlining his programme to tackle the developing medical crisis amid criticism and government in-fighting which is believed to have delayed its launch.
Amongst others, the Liberal Democrats said government departments' in-fighting led to the hotline being launched six months late.
However, the government said the aim is simply to help relieve the pressure on 'frontline' NHS staff.
Mr Burnham commented today: "Technology to launch the service has been available for some time.
"But with the latest figures and drawing on advice from the field we have now reached a point where this service is required.
"To act any sooner would have been a distraction to health staff dealing with it."
He was speaking in the face of claims of conflicting advice to pregnant women, and also denied that the guidance had changed since the start of the outbreak.
Some reports at the weekend suggested that women should even consider not getting pregnant and those that already are should avoid crowded places.
But Mr Burnham said the official advice was that people should only reconsider unnecessary travel and being in very crowded places.
But he added the advice was "not hard and fast" and said people should use their own judgement and get on with their lives and enjoy the summer.
Twenty-nine people have now died in the UK after contracting swine flu - 26 in England and three in Scotland.
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have all decided to stay out of the service as the demands being placed on health staff are not as great.
That is even though Scotland saw the first case of swine flu and had the first death, as the country is not seeing the 'exceptional' levels of demand seen in every region of England apart from the Yorkshire and the Humber.
Some single GP practices in London have actually seen more cases than the whole of Wales or Northern Ireland.
In Wales, there has only been 67 confirmed cases, while Northern Ireland has even fewer.
Also, GPs in all three nations do not tend to have such large patient lists as in England, leaving them more able to cope with fluctuating demand.
Meanwhile, GPs - although warning it needed to be well funded - welcomed the FluLine phone and internet advice proposals.
(BMcC/KMcA)
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23 July 2009
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The number of those diagnosed with swine flu in the last seven days has reached 100,000 - more than double of the total the previous week in England.
15 January 2010
Flu Pandemic 'Exaggerated'
The UK's latest swine flu figures are still on the way down. The new figures have just been been released as several European countries are raising questions about the swine flu crisis - inferring it was "a false pandemic" - allowing pharmaceutical companies to put pressure on health ministers to order more vaccine than their countries needed.
Flu Pandemic 'Exaggerated'
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19 October 2005
Flu jabs planned for all Britons
The government has announced plans to vaccinate everyone in the UK in the event of a flu pandemic. Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson announced that the Department of Health is inviting manufacturers to tender for a contract to supply pandemic flu vaccine.
Flu jabs planned for all Britons
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03 October 2005
Flu jab call for most vulnerable
A campaign urging over-65s and children with health problems to get the flu vaccination has been launched by the government. The annual flu jab is available free of charge to those aged over 65, care-home residents and those who suffer from diseases such as diabetes, heart or kidney disease and asthma.
Flu jab call for most vulnerable
A campaign urging over-65s and children with health problems to get the flu vaccination has been launched by the government. The annual flu jab is available free of charge to those aged over 65, care-home residents and those who suffer from diseases such as diabetes, heart or kidney disease and asthma.
01 October 2003
Health department clears up flu jab 'misunderstandings'
Some people aged 65 years and over are not claiming their free flu vaccinations because of "serious misunderstandings", according to research published today by the Department of Health.
Health department clears up flu jab 'misunderstandings'
Some people aged 65 years and over are not claiming their free flu vaccinations because of "serious misunderstandings", according to research published today by the Department of Health.
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