Monday, July 20, 2009

England to launch special flu service next week to take pressure off primary care

20 July 2009

The Department of Health for England has brought forward by three months its plans for a national pandemic flu service to relieve pressure on GPs and other NHS service providers as the number of cases of influenzaA/H1N1 and consultations continue to rise rapidly. The service, which will launch towards the end of the week, means that people will be able to get a prescription for antiviral drugs through a special telephone and internet service rather than by visiting or telephoning their GP.

England’s chief medical officer, Liam Donaldson, announced on 16 July that 26 people had died in England from swine flu, with another three deaths in Scotland, bringing the total number of UK deaths to 29, a rapid rise from the 17 deaths that had occurred up to 14 July.
-snip- [subscription required]

No comments: