UK framework for responding to an influenza pandemic

The Health Protection Agency welcomes publication of the Government's National Framework for Responding to an Influenza Pandemic.

The Framework provides information and guidance to assist and support organisations in developing and improving their pandemic preparedness plans.

Professor Nigel Lightfoot, of the Health Protection Agency said “The framework sets out the Government's strategic approach to preparing for an influenza pandemic and gives guidance to all public and private organisations to further develop their plans for a flu pandemic. The plan will support flu preparedness and help reduce the impact of pandemic flu on the UK population.

“We help people prepare for a flu pandemic. UK planning and preparedness is well advanced and a significant number of exercises to test these plans have been carried out locally, regionally and at a national level”.

The HPA plays a key role in informing public health policy development on pandemic influenza, through its expert advice, modelling and reference virological services. It has produced a suite of guidance documents for control of infection in health and non-health settings. The HPA has produced protocols and algorithms for the investigation and management of early cases and contacts, and it keeps a watch on the global avian influenza situation by carrying out periodic risk assessments. During a pandemic the HPA will provide surveillance information and real time modelling of the expected impacts to inform Government decisions.