Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

THE NATIONAL PANDEMIC FLU SERVICE (NPFS) was launched yesterday, Thursday 23 rd July, enabling people in England to access swine flu advice and treatment through the service.

The NPFS is a new self-care service with online and telephone access that allows you to assess your symptoms and access antivirals if required, or read advice on symptom-relief.

This service is only intended for people who are ill with swine flu.

Those people with serious underlying illness, who are pregnant or whose condition suddenly worsens, should consult their GP if they are concerned they have swine flu.

Parents or carers of children under the age of one should consult their GP straight away if they are concerned that the child may have swine flu.

In the first instance, the preferred option is that people should visit the NPFS website at:

www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu

This website is available 24 hours a day, and is designed to identify the symptoms of swine flu and to provide authorisation to access antivirals, if required.

Two telephone lines are also available, and will be open from 8am - midnight on:

0800 1 513 513 for information

0800 1 513 100 for treatment.

A textphone number is available on 0800 1 513 200.

People diagnosed with swine flu will be given an authorisation code that a 'flu friend' - a friend or relative who does not have swine flu - can use to pick up antivirals from a local Antiviral Collection Point (ACP).

People will be asked to provide their personal details when they contact the NPFS, to minimise any potential abuse of the system. Additionally their flu friend will need to take personal ID as well as the patient's ID with them, when they go to collect the antivirals. A patient should only be authorised one prescription for antivirals, and there will have to be a very strong case for the issuing of any additional prescriptions.

As is the case with many medicines, there are some known side effects of the antivirals, such as nausea in a small number of cases, and these may lessen over the course of the treatment. Information leaflets area being offered to all patients who are prescribed antivirals outlining any possible side effects and when they should be seeking additional medical advice.

It is anticipated that the launch of the NPFS will relieve some of the current pressures on the system - particularly in primary care and A&E - and will ensure that GPs can focus their efforts on treating patients with more serious symptoms, with all other patients being advised, and treated if appropriate, by the NPFS.

It remains the case that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not yet need to use the National Pandemic Flu Service. This situation is being kept under constant review and they will be able to opt into the Service as and when needed.

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