From 11th February the National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS) was shut down. The announcement made by the UK Government is as a result of a `steady decline` in swine flu cases. Many people are seeing this as a clear signal that the UK swine flu scare is officially over. It is also expected that the extreme promotion of toxic antiviral drugs that were made to combat the virus will slow to a stop too.

Gillian Merron the Health minister said: “The Department is today announcing the decision to stand down the NPFS with effect from 1am on February 11 2010. This is being done in response to the steady reduction in the estimated number of swine flu cases in the community and is in line with our overall aim of ensuring the operational response is appropriate to the level of threat posed by the virus.”

When the swine flu virus was declared a pandemic, the Department of Health responded by issuing statements that the death toll could be as high as 65,000 in Britain. This number that health Minister Andy Burnham and Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson suggested is in stark contrast to the 411 deaths that actually occurred. It should also be borne in mind that annually 3,000 people in Britain die as a result of seasonal flu.

Leaked photos from inside the NPFS showed bored staff filling their time with things like flying paper aircraft as the number of callers reduced significantly. The service had prescribed anti viral drugs on the basis of a flow chart and misdiagnosis was estimated at an astonishing 80%.

http://www.healthypages.co.uk/newsitem.php?news=6228

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The importance of keeping your home warm and safe this winter is being highlighted by NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent as part of its winter wellness campaign.

Sarah Andrews, Director of Nursing at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent, said: “We’re all more likely to feel the chill in winter. Children in particular can be at risk of becoming unwell as their immune systems are still developing. For adults, cold weather can lead to more serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes or pneumonia. By staying warm, you can stay healthy and well.

“Some tips for heating your home effectively and saving energy may seem obvious, but they can make a big difference when it comes to reducing your fuel bills.”

By setting your heating to the right temperature, you can keep your home warm and lower your bills. During the day set the thermostat to 21°C (70°F) and during the night set it to 18°C (64°F).

Set your heating to come on just before you get up and switch off after you’ve gone to bed. If it’s very cold, set your heating to come on earlier and turn off later rather than turning the thermostat up.

If you can’t heat all of the rooms you use, heat the living room throughout the day and your bedroom(s) just before you go to bed. Remember to close curtains and shut doors to keep heat in the rooms you use most.

If you do not have a thermostat, invest in a household thermometer to check room temperature.

As well as keeping warm, it is also important to make sure you stay safe. Incorrectly installed, poorly maintained or poorly ventilated cooking and heating appliances can give off carbon monoxide - a poisonous gas which you cannot see, smell or taste but which kills more than 50 people a year in England and Wales. Low levels of carbon monoxide can cause serious harm to your health if breathed in over a long time.

Top tips for staying safe include:

•           Have your cooking and heating appliances, flues and chimneys serviced at least once a year by a suitably trained, reputable, registered engineer.

•           Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm that meets European Standard EN50291.

•           Keep rooms well ventilated when using an appliance and stop using an appliance if you think it     may be giving off carbon monoxide gas.

If you suffer from symptoms like food poisoning, viral infections, flu or simple fatigue and think they could be caused by carbon monoxide, see your doctor at once and say you think it might be carbon monoxide poisoning.

For more information on installing insulation and to find an approved National Insulation Association (NIA) installer in your area who can arrange a free survey and quotation for your property and provide details of the grants available, visit the NIA website www.nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk. Alternatively call the enquiry line on 0845 163 63 63.

To find out more about carbon monoxide safety, call the HSE Gas Safety Line on 0800 300 363 (8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday) or visit www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/index.htm for general health advice and information visit www.nhs.uk/carbonmonoxide

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Health professionals in eastern and coastal Kent are urging the public to take a more responsible attitude when seeking treatment this winter.

The warning comes at the start of what could be one of the toughest winters yet for the NHS, with swine flu combining with regular winter pressures, such as seasonal flu, putting extra pressure on emergency services and GP surgeries.

Every year, winter is the busiest season for accident and emergency (A&E) departments and figures already show that attendances in eastern and coastal Kent are up by 10 per cent on this time last year.

People are arriving at A&E with minor ailments such as coughs, colds, earaches and sore throats without any concern for the more vulnerable patients who could be harmed as a result of catching even minor infections.

There is often no need for the visit to A&E as there is a wide range of other health services available to the public that may be more suitable such as the NHS Direct web and telephone service, pharmacists, NHS walk-in centres and GP surgeries.

Sarah Andrews, Director of Nursing at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent, said: ““Staying at home and caring for yourself is the best option for things like hangovers, grazed knees, sore throats and coughs. Many of these ailments can simply be treated by using medicine and getting plenty of rest.

“In case you do get ill, it is good to be prepared. Essential items include paracetamol or aspirin, anti-diarrhoeal medicine, oral rehydration mixture, indigestion remedy, plasters and a thermometer. Ask your pharmacist for help to decide what medicines you need and always follow the dosage on the label.

“You can also help to prevent the spread of infections by cleaning you hands regularly. The most common way infections are spread is on people’s hands especially those that cause diarrhoea, sickness, tummy bugs, colds and flu.”

Ann Sutton, Chief Executive of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent said: ““Self care when treating minor illnesses has an important part to play in ensuring the NHS delivers the most efficient and effective treatments and best value for money.”

The rates of influenza-like illness in eastern and coastal Kent reported to GPs during the week ending 25 October have shown a small decrease to 28.7 per 100,000 population from 30.4 per 100,000 population the previous week.

Anyone suspecting they have swine flu can check their symptoms on the National Pandemic Flu Service website www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu or call 0800 1 513 100 or 0800 1 513 200.

Once people are confirmed with swine flu by the National Pandemic Flu Service, they will be given a unique authorisation number that the ‘flu friend’ can use to pick up the antivirals from a local antiviral collection point.

Callers to the service will be told where their nearest antiviral collection point is.

However, people with swine flu symptoms should only contact their doctor direct rather than using the National Pandemic Flu Service if they:

•           Have a serious underlying illness

•           Are pregnant

•           Have a sick child under one year old

•           Realise their condition is suddenly getting much worse

•           Think their condition is still getting worse after seven days (five for a child).

For more information contact:

Christine King

01227 795089

christine.king@eastcoastkent.nhs.uk

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CHOOSE your local health services well this winter! That is the message from NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent in a new campaign designed to enable people across the region to get the most from their local health services.

During winter, more people get ill or are injured than at other times of the year. This means that the services provided by the National Health Service (NHS) are needed more than ever.

Every year, A&E departments in eastern and coastal Kent see over 170,000 patients costing the NHS almost £14 million. About 34,500 of these patients could avoid attending A&E and be treated more quickly by their GP, local walk in centre, minor injuries unit, pharmacist or even by themselves with basic self-care, first aid and advice.

Dr Robert Stewart, Medical Director at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent said: “The Choose Well campaign is designed to help you decide if you need medical attention. It explains what each NHS service does, and when it should be used.

“Many people are unaware that the services provided by NHS Direct and local pharmacists often deal with common winter illnesses faster than emergency care services. A simple phone call or accessing the NHS Direct’s website could prevent an unnecessary journey to a busy A&E department.

“Choosing well means you will get the best treatment this winter as quickly and locally as possible. It also allows busy NHS services to help the people who need them most.”

Using a colour coded thermometer as its logo, the Choose well campaign aims to reduce the burden on all in-demand NHS services by helping people to associate the severity of their symptoms with a particular NHS service:

• A&E or 999 — for critical or life-threatening situations
• NHS Walk-in Centre or Minor Injury Unit — for treatment of minor illnesses or injuries, without an appointment
• GP — for medical advice, examinations and prescriptions for illnesses you just can’t shake off
• Pharmacist — for advice on common winter illnesses, and the best medicines to treat them
• NHS Direct — for absolutely any health questions, around the clock, and to find local services
• Self-care — for treatment of minor winter illnesses, by combining a well stocked medicine cabinet with plenty of rest

Ann Sutton, Chief Executive of NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent said: “The Choose Well campaign has a significant role to play in the wellbeing of people in all our localities of Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Shepway, Swale and Thanet.

“By giving people choice and helping them to understand the range of support available we can make a real difference both to people that use the services, who will be treated more quickly and appropriately, and to the NHS, enabling us to focus our resources on those who need care the most.”

For more information contact:

Julia Rogers

01227 791163

julia.rogers@eastcoastkent.nhs.uk

or

David Muir

01227 795062

david.muir@eastcoastkent.nhs.uk

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