News story

Guidance on influenza pandemic preparedness and response published

Operational guidance on the implementation of the UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011 is published.

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 20 April 2012

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The guidance for health and social care workers, is intended to support local preparedness and response planning in England during the transition period through to 2013.

The key changes in the strategy learned from the 2009 pandemic are:

• develop improved plans for the initial response to a new pandemic
• ensure a response that is proportionate to a range of scenarios
• allow for differences in the rate and pattern of spread of the disease across the country and internationally
• develop improved plans for managing the end of an influenza pandemic.

The Health and social care influenza pandemic preparedness and response will be updated to reflect preparedness and response structures for the longer-term as they develop.

It should be read together with the UK Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Strategy 2011.

Published 20 April 2012