UK: Hospital execs confident about BF planning

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BIRD FLU: HOSPITAL BOSSES CONFIDENT ABOUT PLANNING 

10:30 - 05 April 2006 

Hospital bosses in Leicester are confident they are complying with Government plans to tackle a bird flu pandemic.

A health expert has warned intensive care units would be unable to cope with the demands. Bird flu could trigger a pandemic across the UK if it mutates into a form that can be passed between humans. In the British Medical Journal, Richard Marsh, critical care specialist at Northampton General Hospital, wrote: "We are unlikely to be able to mobilise the equipment and staff to achieve such a temporary increase in the provision of intensive care." 

Kelvyn Price, deputy director of operations at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, said: "The World Health Organisation is monitoring the international situation and, if there is any change in the alert status, we will be informed.

"We are party to a plan led by public health doctors and are confident the role we are being asked to play can be fulfilled. Our plans include segregating pandemic patients from non-pandemic patients, prioritising ongoing clinical activity, such as booked operations and out-patient appointments, maintaining the trust's emergency non-pandemic capability and protecting our staff.''

Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson said: "Our plans include building a stockpile of 14.6 million doses of anti-viral drugs. We have asked every NHS trust to draw up a contingency plan to respond to a flu pandemic. We are auditing these plans and will feed back our comments."

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