Britain Unprepared for Next Wave of Swine Flu – Peers

Lords committee says national pandemic flu service should have been launched sooner
Ministers have been urged to prove that the NHS can cope with treating large numbers of patients in intensive care during a feared second wave of the swine flu pandemic later this year.

An expert committee of the House of Lords said it had been told by the Department of Health that there could be a doubling of critical care facilities "under a severe attack phase".

The science and technology committee's report, published today, expressed concern that Britain may not be ready to deal with the situation expected in the autumn. The report said: "We invite the Department of Health to provide more detailed information about the current basis on which critical care contingency arrangements for a pandemic have been made."

The Lords committee also said the national pandemic flu service should have been launched sooner. The flu telephone hotline is a scaled-down and interim version of the planned flu service.

However, the government was praised for stockpiling enough antiviral drugs to treat half of the population.

Other areas of concern included the absence of "whole system" testing, used to find out whether all parts of the NHS, including the ambulance service, GPs, hospitals and the mental health service, can work well together under the strain of mass illness.

"We were surprised and disappointed that the government had not undertaken 'whole system' testing of health services preparations for a flu pandemic before swine flu emerged," said committee chairman Lord Sutherland.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both seized on the report . "The report raises serious questions about ongoing preparedness which the government must answer in full," said Stephen O'Brien, shadow health minister.

Meanwhile, guidance for childminders, schools and nurseries on planning for a human flu pandemic, published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, has advised against children sharing toys, crayons and musical instruments.

The guide for childminders tells them: "Try to avoid children sharing soft toys as these are hard to clean adequately; you may find it easier to avoid using soft toys altogether. Clean hard toys after use as the virus can survive on hard surfaces."

Universities have started to stockpile disposable rubber gloves and soap powder in case there are multiple outbreaks of swine flu on campuses this September.

It has also emerged that ministers have talked to the BBC about the corporation clearing its schedules for educational programs if schools are closed to curb the spread of the pandemic.

© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 7/28/2009
 
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