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Pandemic flu: managing demand and capacity in health care organisations (surge)

This is generic guidance intended to assist in preparing for a pandemic whose nature and severity is unknown. Although much of the content remains relevant in the current swine flu pandemic, some aspects, particularly those relating to at risk groups and those intended to respond to higher levels of sickness and mortality may not be applicable to the current swine flu situation.  Therefore, the guidance should be read in conjunction with the latest swine flu UK planning assumptions and other specific swine flu guidance including the swine flu critical care strategy

In particular, it should be noted that this guidance includes guidelines and principles based around UK alert levels which are not being used to define the stages of the response to swine flu.

This guidance on managing demand and capacity in health care organisations (surge) is available today (1 May 2009) to NHS organisations as planned. We are aware of the interest the organisations have shown in the guidance and encourage them to use the document in their on-going planning work.

The aim of the guidance is to support NHS and social care organisations to build on their existing preparedness plans and enable clinicians to work within an ethical framework during a pandemic, when there may be a significant increase in demand for care.

This document is intended to provide staff with guidance on the following:

• operational issues around the increase in demand for services
• supporting clinicians with the decision making processes on triaging patients
  

To help in the face-to-face application of this guidance by those responding to patients with influenza symptoms, a package of clinical pathways and decision parameters will be available in the next few days. These will include:

• swine flu community assessment tools for adults and children under 16
• swine flu hospital assessment tools with Inpatient pathways for adults and children under 16 years
• a GP authorisation voucher for the supply of oseltamavir liquid medication for under 1’s
• general supporting information
  

• Download Pandemic flu managing demand and capacity in health care organisations (surge) (PDF, 1884K)
• Swine flu critical care strategy
• Swine flu clinical package