Information for health sector members: the current pandemic
influenza (swine flu) outbreak
August 2009
Information for Unite health sector members regarding
pandemic flu
Members have been contacting us to request advice and guidance
regarding the national pandemic flu situation. Information is
available on this page which we hope will help support members in
delivering their important roles throughout this national
situation.
If you, a family member or a member of the public are concerned
about swine flu, up to date information can be accessed from the
National Pandemic Flu Website (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_178842.htm).
This site provides information across four countries.
For general up to date information on swine flu, visit the
Health Protection Agency website (http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1240732817665?p=1240732817665).
They also have a site that is dedicated to health professionals
(http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1240812234677)
which includes guidance for health professionals from the Chief
Medical Officer for England, detailed HPA guidance on prescribing
(including to infants, children, adults and pregnant women) and
guidance on incidents where patients have been treated by a
healthcare worker who is suspected to be infected with
influenza.
Advice for members who are registered with professional
bodies
Unite health sector members may be registered with statutory
health regulatory bodies. Individual guidance and advice is being
issued by many organisations. This includes advice from the bodies
that register healthcare professionals.
Nursing & Midwifery Council Advice: http://www.nmc-uk.org/aArticle.aspx?ArticleID=3689
Health Professions Council: http://www.hpc-uk.org/mediaandevents/statements/swineflu/
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) http://www.rpsgb.org.uk/flu/
Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI) http://www.psni.org.uk/
General Optical Council http://www.optical.org/
General Dental Council
http://www.gdc-uk.org/Our+work/Standards/Influenza+Pandemic+Statement.htm
General Osteopathic Council http://www.osteopathy.org.uk/
General Medical Council
http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/news_consultation/medical_pandemic.asp
Information for work place representatives
The Trades Union Congress has compiled guidance for Trade Unions
(http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/tuc-13401-f0.cfm).
Unite has already been contacted by several of its work place
representatives to advise of some of the ‘emergency measures’ that
organisations have brought in to cope with the swine flu outbreak.
These have included; ‘mandatory’ relocation of workers away from
their day to day jobs to working in pandemic flu centres;
notification that all leave has been cancelled.
It is the Union’s position that any changes locally require full
consultation with staff and the recognised trade unions. This not
only ensures that the considerable amount of good will that workers
have in the public sector continues throughout any crisis, but also
that any new policies and procedures that are brought in do not
have the effect of making any crisis worse.
Employers should also be reminded that even in periods of
crisis, employee’s health and safety must not be put at risk, it is
essential to carry out appropriate risk assessments before any
changes are implemented.
Some possible examples from the breadth of Unite Health
Sector membership
NB Even though we have named some
groups from the Unite health sector we would encourage
representatives to read all the examples. Much of the
information will relate across all our membership:
- Health visitors are instructed to stop carrying out ‘routine’
work and instructed to staff local pandemic flu centres. During
this time, it is more difficult for parents to receive advice and
guidance with any concerns they may have. Due to the publicity
around swine flu, parents are already aware that their children may
be at increased risk of complications and therefore visit their GP
to get their minds ‘put at rest’.
Some questions that might need to be asked:
- What work is considered to be routine? Unite has continually
stated that there is a national shortage of health visitors, with
members reporting that in many areas “they have already stopped
their routine work”.
- How can members equate (or prioritise) the requirement to
carry out duties in the pandemic flu centres with not carrying out
their day to day role?
- How will the organisation ensure children are not put at
increased risk (through a reduction in the safeguarding
service)?
- How long will the requirement to staff pandemic flu centres
continue for? It would be difficult for any organisation to be able
to provide guidance on this, but assumptions are currently being
made that the current situation will continue for months and not
weeks.
Speech and language therapists are instructed to stop carrying
out routine work and to staff pandemic flu centres, including the
requirement to calculate drug dosage for people collecting their
antiviral medication.
Some questions that might need to be asked:
- What training has been delivered to ensure that staff are
competent to carry out appropriate calculations?
- What process (quality assurance) is in place for those staff,
who feel the training has not ensured they are competent, to
deliver the appropriate level of care?
- What alternative process is in place to support colleagues who
feel unable to carry out the service?
Ambulance paramedics and technicians are informed that all
types of leave are being cancelled and staff must come into
work.
This approach should never be followed by any organisation.
If employers did suggest this approach, there are many reasons
why this would be totally counter productive, including:
- How would the organisation compensate staff who have paid for
holidays?
- How would this approach work? Especially if the current
crisis persists for a long period of time. For example, if staff
deferred two weeks holiday, how would the service be able to cope,
both in any crisis but also when the service returns ‘to normal’ in
the following year (holiday period).
- It has been recognised (including the information from the TUC,
see above) that not only will this crisis have an impact on the NHS
by an increase in the numbers of those approaching services, but
also with the toll it will take on NHS workers who have carers
responsibility and their family members. Any approach to force
staff to change practices, may well have the effect of increasing
presenteeism (or staff coming into work when they are unwell)
therefore increasing the risk of other staff contracting
influenza.
If representatives have any questions or concerns related to
local issues, as always, please discuss with the regional officer
who covers your organisation. We would also ask in this case that
you encourage the regional officer to contact the national health
sector team to share examples which we can raise and respond to
nationally. This can be done via: dave.munday@unitetheunion.com.
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