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Pandemic flu planning. Agreement on GP remuneration: guidance note for Primary Care Trusts

Published: 08/05/2008

Ministers have endorsed an agreement reached between NHS Employers and the BMA's General Practitioners Committee (GPC) on the maintenance of GMS practice income where GP practices are involved in responding to a pandemic influenza.

• Pandemic flu planning. Agreement on GP remuneration: guidance note for Primary Care Trusts

Pandemic Influenza: Guidance for infection control in critical care

Published: 15/04/2008

This guidance has been developed as an adjunct to the document ‘Pandemic influenza: Guidance for infection control in hospitals and primary care settings’. It provides information to assist critical care units to plan and conduct their pandemic response.

• Pandemic Influenza: Guidance for infection control in critical care

Health and Safety Executive

HSE has developed general guidance for employers and employees to use if the Chief Medical Officer declares a pandemic flu within the UK. 

• Download Pandemic flu - workplace guidance in Portable Document Format (88K) (opens new window)

Infection control guidance

Published: 30/01/2008

Infection control guidance in the event of a flu pandemic is now available for some non-NHS sectors. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Department of Health (DH) have worked with various organisations to develop guidance for the following: funeral directors, the hospitality industry, fire and rescue services, cleaning and refuse staff and the police. Each of the guidance has standard text, which explains what pandemic flu is, how it is spread and how you can protect yourself and others from it. It then addresses issues relevant to the particular sector. For example, the guidance for the hospitality industry includes sections for hotel managers on decontaminating hotel rooms and the advice to give to guests.

• Pandemic flu guidance for funeral directors
• Pandemic flu guidance for cleaning staff and refuse collectors in non-health care settings
• Pandemic flu guidance for the Fire and Rescue Service
• Pandemic flu guidance for the hospitality industry
• Pandemic flu guidance for the police service

Chairman of the Pandemic Influenza Scientific Advisory Group

As part of a process to ensure the Pandemic Influenza Scientific Advsiroy Group (SAG) is more flexible and independent, a recruitment procedure for an external Chair has been completed. The Department of Health is delighted to announce Professor Sir Gordon Duff has agreed to take on that role from January 2008 onwards for a period of three years. More details can be found in the press release issued on 7 January 2008.

• Press release regarding appointment of SAG chair (opens new window)

Pandemic flu: A national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic

Published: 22/11/2007 13:08

This document describes the Government's strategic approach for responding to an influenza pandemic published jointly by the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office. It provides background information and guidance to public and private organisations developing response plans. It updates and expands upon health advice and information contained in previous plans issued by UK health departments and is intended to replace those documents. Supporting guidance includes an ethical framework and operating guidance for adult social care, ambulance services, community and acute healthcare.

• Pandemic flu: A national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic, and supporting guidance

Invitation to comment

Published: 25/02/2008 10:17

The UK’s plans for responding to an influenza pandemic are set out in the recently published Pandemic Flu: A national framework for responding to an influenza pandemic. To assist responders in developing their local plans further draft guidance has been produced with the participation and advice of subject experts and representatives from key stakeholder groups. We are seeking wider comments on these drafts and would particularly welcome views and contributions from those individuals and organisations involved in pandemic influenza planning and preparedness. These will be collated and analysed in depth and used to inform final guidance on this issue, which will be available on the DH website in the summer. We would be grateful for your comments by 22 February 2008.

• Consultation on pandemic influenza

Pandemic influenza: guidance for infection control in hospitals and primary care settings

Published: 15/04/2008 15:01

This guidance document replaces the infection control guidance published in October 2005. The changes and amendments in this edition are detailed on page 4 and include updated advice on aerosol- generating procedures. This advice takes into consideration and addresses the categorisation of such procedures in the recently published interim guidance from the World Health Organization on 'Infection prevention and control of epidemic- and pandemic-prone acute respiratory diseases in health care' (June 2007).

• Pandemic influenza: guidance for infection control in hospitals and primary care settings

Scientific evidence paper

Published: 22/11/2007 13:22

Cabinet Office paper summarising the wide-ranging evidence behind strategies to respond to pandemic influenza.

• Scientific evidence paper

Medicines consultation

Published: 25/02/2008 9:21

The consultation on possible changes to medicines and associated legislation for use during a pandemic suggests ways to maintain people's access to regular essential medicines in this period and looks at the amendments which are required to support the operational framework. It asks when these changes might be brought into force and when they should be lifted, how far existing safeguards should be relaxed to ensure access and whether there are other barriers to access that should be considered. The consultation ends on 26 February 2008 and views are welcomed.

• Possible amendments to medicines and associated legislation during an influenza pandemic

Revision of Scientific Advisory Group

The organisation of the Pandemic Influenza Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) is currently being revised.

• Details of SAG revision (opens new window)

Infection control training material

Published: 15/04/2008 10:04

A range of new infection control training materials has been produced, including a summary of the guidance for infection control in healthcare settings during an influenza pandemic, posters on the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and a short training video (added 17 October 2007).

• Infection control training material

Additional funding for pandemic influenza preparedness

Published: 17/10/2007 12:00

Advises of the new governace arrangements and progress with the national pandemic planning programme and the additional funds being made available

• Additional funding for pandemic influenza preparedness

Planning for a possible influenza pandemic a framework for planners preparing to manage deaths - consultation

Published: 03/12/2007 9:12

The Home Office has produced draft guidance for consultation (closing 30 November 2007) which sets out proposals for the management of potentially large numbers of deaths during an influenza pandemic.

• Planning for a possible influenza pandemic a framework for planners preparing to manage deaths - consultation

Enquiries

• Please contact the Pandemic Flu team via pandemicflu@dh.gsi.gov.uk with any queries (opens new window)