EndocrinologyNo Change To Swine Flu Treatment Routes In Wales
Wales, along with the other devolved nations, will not be part of the National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS) when it is launched next week in England, Health Minister Edwina Hart said today.
The NPFS will be made up of a dedicated website and a central call centre that assesses people on symptoms of swine flu and authorises antiviral treatments. It has been introduced in England in response to operational pressure.
Mrs Hart said that existing primary care routes would continue to be used to manage treatment in Wales as this provides the opportunity for clinical engagement using familiar services. Wales, along with Scotland and Northern Ireland, will still be able to plug into the service if and when it is required.
Mrs Hart said: "Wales is well behind the curve compared to areas of England in terms of the numbers of swine flu cases.
"The situation in Wales therefore remains the same. People in Wales who experience flu-like symptoms should stay at home and call the Swine Flu Information line on 0800 1 513 513 or use the website http://www.direct.gov.uk/swineflu
"If the symptoms are causing concern, or people are in an at-risk group such as those with a chronic condition like heart or lung disease, children under 5 or pregnant women, they should phone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or phone their GP as they are a priority for early antiviral treatment.
"However, the virus is proving to be mild for most people and so most can self-care and will recover without the need for antivirals.
"We will continue to focus on providing care and support to people through existing services that they are more familiar with and comfortable with using for as long as possible.
"The local NHS in Wales is developing patient contact arrangements through GPs, out of hours and call centres to support GPs who are getting an increase in swine flu-related calls.
"I can also announce today that we are at an advanced stage to bring in local arrangements with community pharmacies in order to supplement the current arrangements for collection of antivirals where they are needed.
"As part of our preparation for further increases in cases, we are also training more call handlers for NHS Direct, as Scotland did to cope with their recent cases, and arrangements will be made to filter calls quickly when patients ring NHS Direct Wales so that people with swine flu symptoms - as well as those phoning in with other calls - are dealt with as effectively as possible.
"In Wales, the local NHS has always planned on responding to a pandemic with up to 50 per cent attack rate, and we have no requirement to join the NPFS at this point in time."
The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Tony Jewell, said: "We are seeing an increase in the number of cases in Wales as we would expect given the community spread in other parts of the UK. We estimate that up to 30 per cent of the population could catch swine flu at some point over the next 12-18 months.
"However, we have anti-virals to reduce the symptoms should people catch it, and we have ordered vaccines to cover the whole population. Both of these measures will help reduce the potential impact on individuals, communities and the economy.
"At the moment, the number of cases is still low in comparison to what we would see in seasonal flu. We are therefore planning to enhance existing services that people know and understand."
Welsh Assembly Government