‘Swine Flu Pandemic - Move to Treatment Phase’
From the Department of Health…
Dear colleague,
As you will be aware, on 11 June the World Health Organisation raised its alert level to 6, recognising that A(H1N1) swine flu has spread to pandemic levels around the globe.
In the majority of UK cases the virus has been generally mild, but has proven to be more severe in a small number of cases, and more recently the UK has sadly seen the first deaths associated with swine flu in those with underlying health conditions.
I am writing to you today to update you on our approach to managing this pandemic following an important announcement by Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham, earlier today.
Before I do, I want to emphasise that the response from the NHS, HPA and GPs has been very good. As little was known about the new virus when the outbreak started, it was sensible to take all possible measures to slow its spread while we learned more. For example swabbing patients suspected of having swine flu to confirm the diagnosis, offering them antivirals to relieve symptoms of the virus and tracing their close contacts to offer them antivirals as a preventative measure. This ‘containment’ phase has helped slow the spread of the virus and offered us the time to build up medical supplies and make significant progress towards developing a vaccine.
The virus is increasingly widespread within the UK and is expected to continue to spread. In the last week, we have seen a significant increase in the number of cases with some areas having to cope with many more cases than others.
We always knew that we could not contain or prevent the spread indefinitely and that is why today Ministers across the UK have agreed that it is time to move from containment into the treatment phase. This will mean that we will:
· Rely on symptoms rather than swabbing to diagnose the virus. We will continue to swab a small number
of patients to ensure we continue to get up to date information about the virus.
· Stop tracing close contacts of those diagnosed with swine flu.
· Only offer antivirals to those diagnosed with swine flu.This link takes you to a document ‘From containment to treatment’ which sets out in more detail the approach to managing the pandemic to date, what a treatment approach means and what this new approach means for people with swine flu.
Ian Dalton, National Director of NHS Flu Resilience has written today to all NHS Chief Executives and Chairs making clear the next steps they need to take in preparing for a potential wider spread of the virus.
As you may be aware, the Department of Health has signed contracts to purchase sufficient vaccine to vaccinate the entire population with the first deliveries arriving in August, and at least 60 million doses are expected by the end of the year. Decisions are yet to be made about who will be prioritised to receive the first doses of the vaccine, but I anticipate that frontline staff will be considered alongside other high priority groups in order to protect them, their families and their patients.
Every NHS organisation has been asked to appoint a lead director to ensure that we are as prepared as we can be for the weeks and months ahead. If you have any concerns or questions about our approach going forward, please speak with them.
Finally, I want to thank you for all your work to respond to the early stages of this pandemic.
David Nicholson
NHS Chief Executive
JH
No comments‘All Backed Up…’
Fighting the temptation to make endless gastrointestinal puns I, this very day, found that I had, indeed, backed-up my blog after all! I use the term ‘I’ rather broadly though - Apple’s wonderfully covert ‘Time Machine’ and my Maxtor HD thingymebob did it for me - and I didn’t even tell them to!
So - my blog - as it was since I started! Bet you’re pleased, eh?
JH
No comments‘Singh ‘Bogus for me’, Mr. Brown’
Let’s get this straight - I don’t want any trouble, like! Here are a few facts…
i) I support Sense About Science
ii) I firmly sit on Simon Singh’s side in the BCA case.
iii) If what is said about the BCA’s action towards Zeno is true then they should NEVER be forgiven.
iv) I like Derren Brown and his work…(despite taking part in the Russian Roulette programme)
v) The link below is just me giving some ‘balance’ to this blog (so PLEASE stop sending me hate emails)
I particularly cringed at the line…
Often his psychological explanations are bogus.
However, free speech and all - bit of negativity helps balance the postings - and for the last time, if you want to abuse my views (or me) then please do it via a comment on this blog. Man-up and have a go publicly…don’t hide behind anonymous hotmail accounts!
JH
No comments‘Physio XXXX - Aussie Style’
Great day out at Sussex County Cricket ground today watching the Australian cricket team train.
Ricky Ponting needed some questionable physio treatment but I reckon they’ll take the ashes back home with them.
Amazed at their professionalism.
JH
No comments‘BANG…and the [evidence] is gone’
If this is true - and it needs to be corroborated - then today will go down as the BCA’s ‘Cillit Bang’ day…
Please tell me it aint so - trying to trick journalists without science is one thing, trying to trick scientists with science is a whole different matter…
JH
No comments‘Plethora of Evidence’
Having previously stated that I was ‘out’, this ‘dragon’ has made a predictable follow-up post in light of the BCA issuing their ‘Plethora’.
This is where I come unstuck - whilst I am happy to comment on all the topics in the right hand column of this blog it is worth me reminding you that I am NONE of the following…
A scientist, an academic, a medic, clever, articulate, interesting, a researcher.
In fact, I’m a little thick so I’ll let others review the literature and I’ll post the links below as I find them.
JH
Links to clevererer people than me…
Derren ‘once gave me the chance to shoot him’ Brown
4 comments‘Sense About Science’
Sense About Science should be the bedrock for any ‘patient-centred’ professions that are a little less established; CAMs in other words.
With the current situation between Simon Singh and the chiropractic profession needing adjudication plus a decent referree, (Howard Webb has a few weeks free at the moment!) it strikes me that Sense About Science should be supported by all.
In the red corner we have the Sceptics, whom, I believe, are not after blood. They are not trying to close down the likes of the chiropractic profession, just asking that they show their hand in scientific terms. In the blue corner we have the chiropractors, or to be precise, the professional association on the chiropractors (not, interestingly, the chiropractic regulator, the GCC).
It’s difficult for me to take sides here - and forgive the arrogance for thinking anyone cares at all what I think - I’m an osteopath, a quack - surely I’m against the Sceptics as they threaten my very existence? Well, (here goes), I’m not. I’m right behind Singh et al. I really believe that they have a valid point - if therapy A claims to treat condition C then it has to be pretty transparent how, especially if there is a living patient in the equation.
When I was an examiner at the ESO I got a fair bit of flak - mainly due to the fact that it was considered that I asked ‘awkward’ questions in viva examinations. My question of each candidate was always the same - ‘Why are you doing what you are doing and how will it affect the patient?’ (A+B=C). Surely this is what CAMs do every day, with every patient. Now then, B might be a little convuluted and less easy to explain but that is no excuse not to explain it!
In the case of the chiropractors and their treatment of colic, the BCA should have stepped up and explained what the profession do to these poor mites with colic - even the simplest example of a hypertonic diaphragm would have been better than legal intimidation (and look what that has lead to - 500 complaints to the ASA last week alone. Might have considered that when taking on an ‘A list’ jurno and all his mates!)
I don’t know where this will end, although I have a pretty good idea. I strongly believe that the Sceptics will help define the likes of chiropractic and this will be a great thing. What we need is something that we don’t usually ask for. We need the researchers to step forward - those slightly awkward bespectacled bods that sit in labs all day. What we don’t need is non-scientists like me sticking their nose in where it probably isn’t wanted so, as they say on Dragon’s Den - ‘I’m Out’.
JH
6 comments‘Not Quite Cricket’
The irony of me being ‘out’ today for a ‘golden duck’ was not lost on me.
It hurt though - more than a little!
JH
No comments‘Swineage’
Now that we officially have the first pandemic for 40 years, are we getting the full picture?
What of the epidemiology? Is it mutating? What is the lead-time for a vaccine? What are the chances of the vaccine actually working?
Now that the media has stopped sensationalising, should we not get a report that might inform us?
JH
2 comments‘…and the ‘S’ stands for?’
…’Speed’ - or so they say.
The iPhone 3GS - a £189 upgrade.
I don’t think I’ll bother.
JH
