National Pandemic Flu Service launches

NHS

Patients with swine flu symptoms in the borough of Rochdale are being encouraged to stay at home and use the new National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS).

The new self-care service is a dedicated website and phone line for people to quickly check their symptoms and get antivirals if necessary. A textphone service is also available for people with hearing or speech impairments.

Those who require antiviral medication will be given a unique authorisation number and told where the nearest antiviral collection point is. This service can only be accessed once so make sure that you have something to hand to copy down the number given and that you won’t be interrupted during the call. The system issues one reference number per person and is designed to issue antivirals for the treatment of flu so it is important that this is only used when people think they actually have flu, not for when people think they may have been in contact with flu.

Flu friend
The patient should then ask a flu friend - a friend or relative who doesn't have swine flu - to go and pick up the antiviral from any antiviral collection point in the borough - it does not have to be the one that is provided by the NPFS.

The flu friend must provide the authorisation number and show their own ID as well as that of the patient. The authorisation number and ID information will be checked to ensure it matches the information provided when the assessment of symptoms was completed.

Antiviral collection points

The flu friend can go to any antiviral collection point, as long as they have the authorisation number and ID (their’s and the patient’s). There are three in the borough:

Nye Bevan House
Maclure Road
Rochdale
OL11 1DN
Mon-Thur: 10am-6pm
Friday: 11am-7pm
Sat & Sun: 10am-2pm

Durnford Street Clinic
Durnford Street
Middleton
M24 5UD
Mon-Fri: 4pm - 8pm

Callaghan House
Cross Street
Off Green Lane
Heywood
OL10 2DY
Mon – Fri: 3pm-6pm

These times and locations may change depending on patient need. We will keep you updated through the NPFS website, our own website, and through the local media.

People with symptoms should telephone their doctor direct rather than using the National Pandemic Flu Service if:

• They have a serious underlying illness
• They are pregnant
• They have a sick child under one year old
• Their condition suddenly gets much worse
• Their condition is no better after 7 days (5 for a child)

Dr Sheila Will, Director of Public Health at NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale explains some of the benefits: “This new service will give patients fast access to information and antivirals. It will also free up GPs, enabling them to deal with high risk patients and the many other illnesses that need their urgent attention.”

Anyone who suspects they have swine flu should not go to GP practices or Accident and Emergency departments, as these places do not have supplies of antivirals to give out to patients and visiting these places can put more vulnerable people at risk.

“The majority of people who have had swine flu so far, have described mild cold or flu-like symptoms. Antivirals can’t cure swine flu, but they can help you to recover more quickly and can relieve some of your symptoms. Some people find that they get better by staying in bed, drinking plenty of water and taking over the counter flu medication,” explains Dr Will.

Symptoms

If you have a fever or a high temperature (over 38˚C/100.4˚F) and have two or more of the following symptoms: unusual tiredness, headache, runny nose, sore throat, shortness of breath or cough, loss of appetite, aching muscles, diarrhoea or vomiting, you may have swine flu.

Good hygiene

Important precautions for everyone to take include regular hand washing, covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throwing away tissues straight away and cleaning hard surfaces like door handles and worktops with normal cleaning products.

National Pandemic Flu Service contact information Telephone: 0800 1 513 513 (information)
0800 1 513 100 (treatment)
Textphone: 0800 1 513 200 (for people with hearing or speech impairments)
Website: www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu


Further updates and information can be found at www.nhs.uk