Pandemic Flu
Experts agree that there is a high probability of another influenza pandemic occurring, and this probability is unchanged, regardless of the timing of the recent Swine Flu pandemic. It is impossible to forecast its exact timing or the precise nature of its impact
Influenza pandemics are natural phenomena that have occurred from time to time for centuries – including H1N1 (Swine Flu) in 2009 – and three times in the last century. The symptoms are similar to those of seasonal influenza but may be significantly more severe. Influenza pandemics arise as a result of new influenza viruses that are markedly different from recently circulating influenza viruses which means that few people, if any, have immunity. As a result of rapid spread from person to person, pandemics have significant global human health consequences. In addition to the severe health effects, a pandemic is also likely to cause significant wider social and economic damage and disruption.
Such a pandemic will present unique international, national and local challenges to the delivery of health and social care, producing case numbers likely to be far in excess of the capacity and capability of both systems to cope in conventional ways.
NHS Coventry, as the organisation responsible for providing services in the community setting will likely come under significant pressure. Even when there are small numbers of people infected or potentially infected, it is likely that public concern and demands on primary care services for information (and, potentially, treatment and/or medicines) will be high.
As a pandemic spreads, primary care services will need to deal with large numbers of individuals infected with influenza. They will also find that, because of the parallel pressures on hospital services, there are more people with acute care needs that need to be cared for within the community setting. This will occur at a time when health professionals such as doctors and nurses are also likely to be affected by flu themselves and so will be less able to cope with additional demand.
The impact of an influenza pandemic on NHS Coventry is likely to be intense, sustained and nationwide and services may quickly become overwhelmed. It is therefore crucial that NHS Coventry plans and prepares for such an event so that we are able to respond to an influenza pandemic in a coherent, effective, coordinated and ethically appropriate way.
- acute
A disease of rapid onset, severe symptoms and brief duration. The majority of services provided by hospitals are for acute illnesses.