« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
1 Introduction
1.1 Influenza pandemics are natural phenomena which have occurred three times in the last century. Their severity has ranged from something similar to seasonal influenza to a major threat, with many millions of people worldwide becoming ill and a proportion of these dying. No country can expect to escape the impact of a pandemic entirely, and when it arrives most people are likely to be exposed to an increased risk of catching the virus at some point. Managing the impact of an influenza pandemic therefore presents us with unique and difficult challenges if we are to save lives and keep our society running, It is essential therefore that coordinated robust plans are agreed, and kept under regular review to ensure the continuity of mental health services, reduce the impact and hasten the recovery of services, as much as possible, during and following an outbreak of pandemic influenza.
1.2 This guidance consists of general contingency advice for planners. It is not intended to prescribe detailed operational guidance for responding to an influenza pandemic. Key planning assumptions, principles, roles and responsibilities are set out to inform the development of local plans.
1.3 Planning for continuity of mental health care and access to care must involve all partners concerned in the delivery of mental health care, support and advice. That spectrum includes among others: community care; primary care; and specialist care involving partnerships between NHS Scotland, the local authorities, the voluntary and independent sectors. Agencies providing housing, training and employment also have an interest.
1.4 It is crucial in planning for pandemic flu that the dependency of particular service users is considered carefully and thoroughly and that core services (these should include, but not be restricted to, inpatient and community care services) are sustained throughout the pandemic. Additionally and in common with other chronic conditions, people with minor mental health problems who usually receive their care from primary care should continue to do so during a pandemic. This should be reflected in pandemic flu contingency plans for primary care, mental health services and other partners to prevent all mental health problems becoming the sole domain of mental health services during a pandemic. Any such an increase in demand would overwhelm the services.
1.5 Major incidents of course cause stress and anxiety. During a pandemic, there is likely to be additional demand on mental health and other services. People already vulnerable to mental illness may express an added need for help and more relapses may occur among those with serious mental health problems. This will add to the demand placed on services during a pandemic phase when resources will be limited and mental health and other services will be under increased strain
1.6 The emphasis is on continuity of care and maintaining access to services and treatments for users throughout the pandemic phase. For any service user, there may be a number of providers and these partners must work together on contingency planning and delivery for the best outcomes to be achieved.
1.7 Contingency plans must:
- incorporate the provision of mental health care in and from all settings;
- support the public to self-care where this is safe and appropriate; and
- promote enabling patients showing signs of flu to access care from their own home, again where this is safe and practical.
1.8 This guidance:
- encourages the development of effective and resilient joint local response plans;
- promotes inter agency and other partnership working and integrated local response plans;
- informs steps to minimise the impact on people with mental health problems and on all mental health services;
- promotes measures to maintain essential mental health services and access to pharmaceuticals and treatments;
- alerts to the additional burden likely to be placed on mental health services; and
- underlines the importance of timely, consistent and authoritative public advice and information.
1.9 Wider context, advice and source material are available at: www.scotland.gov.uk/pandemicflu
« Previous | Contents | Next »