UK: National Health Service cannot cope with swine flu epidemic, report warns

The Telegraph ^ | 7/28/2009 | Rebecca Smith

[bruinbirdman]

The NHS may not be able to cope with a swine flu epidemic this winter as intensive care beds will be overwhelmed, a Lords report has warned.

While preparations for a flu pandemic in Britain are more advanced than in most countries, there is more that could have been done, peers said in a report.

The report criticised the Government's failure to keep its promise to set up a flu telephone helpline by April

The Government has failed to offer reassurance that NHS services can deal with an expected "second wave" of swine flu in the autumn, The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee said.

The committee was told that the number of intensive care beds could be doubled during a pandemic but even then this may not be enough to cope with demand.

Alan Johnson former Health Secretary told the committee that “at the peak of a ‘reasonable worst-care scenario’ (in which half of the population catch the virus) pandemic intensive care capacity may well be inadequate even after these measures have been adopted”.

The committee is seeking further information on how intensive care beds could be doubled and the Daily Telegraph understands operating theatres and recovery areas could be used if routine surgery was suspended during peak flu demand.

The committee was warned that difficult ethical decisions would need to be taken about prioritising patients for intensive care and peers are seeking clarity from ministers on the framework for these choices.

The report said the National Pandemic Flu Service, a phoneline and website to diagnose swine flu and issue Tamiflu, may not be able to cope with a 'second wave' of flu this autumn and winter, the report said.

The phone line was originally supposed to be launched as soon as the

[taxtruth]

Propaganda BS.

[EGPWS]

The Government has failed to offer reassurance that NHS services can deal with an expected "second wave" of swine flu in the autumn, The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee said.

They are short of Czars.

[freekitty]

I am now hearing the news programs bleating about interstate or instrstate. Someone must be reading me as I am the only one that has brought it up.

Watch out guys; this is how Congress especially the Senate does things without your knowledge.

[denydenydeny]

The committee was warned that difficult ethical decisions would need to be taken about prioritising patients for intensive care and peers are seeking clarity from ministers on the framework for these choices.

Socialized medicine at its finest. Prepare not for vaccination, quarantines, and the hard work of saving lives, but rather making sure that people die as smoothly as possible.

[FlingWingFlyer]

I was just reading on Yahoo where so bunch of kooks have done a “study” and decided that the swine flu was going to be the solution to the “babyboomers/Social Security/Medicare problem. If you’re over 65, it looks as though you’re not going to get any antiviral drug treatment. I don’t think the Obamanation is going to be a good thing for “seniors.” DemocRATS! The Party of Death!