Response to the Department of Health consultation on pandemic influenza
29 February 2008
General comments
MPS welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Department of Health’s guidance on pandemic influenza. The principles of the guidance seem reasonable, however it is difficult to assess how the guidance will be interpreted, without being in the situation where it is necessary.
Prioritisation of care
Guidance on how the prioritisation of care should be undertaken needs to be available to clinicians as soon as possible, so that when it becomes relevant they are aware of how it should be done. Restricting care in this way will be extremely difficult to manage and will only be feasible if very clear and comprehensive guidance is made available to anyone having to implement it.
Suspension of quality and performance frameworks when surge capacity is reached
Guidance on the suspension of quality and performance frameworks when surge capacity is reached needs to be planned and organised well before an emergency situation develops. Clinicians and managers need clear advice on how the priorities have changed.
Contacts
- Stephanie CrokerPolicy OfficerPhone 0207 399 1419Fax 0207 399 1371
Useful Links
- Department of Health Consultation on pandemic influenza
Details of the consultation on the Department of Health website.