NSW Influenza Pandemic Action Plan

NSW Premier Morris Iemma today released the State’s Influenza Pandemic Action Plan – supported by $5.6 million over the next three years to prepare for a potential outbreak of pandemic influenza in NSW.

He was joined by the Minister for Health, John Hatzistergos and the Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.

“This comprehensive strategic plan outlines the NSW health response in the event of an influenza pandemic,” Mr Iemma said.

“Over the next three years, $5.6 million will be dedicated to accelerate our preparations under this plan for a potential influenza pandemic.”

“We may not stop a pandemic from occurring, but with careful planning and preparation we can be more effective in protecting people and reducing the impact on the health system.”

A pandemic of influenza occurs when a bird flu strain mutates into a form that is easily transmissible between humans.

“There is no evidence yet that avian influenza has been transmitted between humans, but we are preparing for if and when that happens,” Mr Iemma said.

Under estimates prepared by NSW Health, if 30 per cent of the NSW population became infected with a pandemic influenza and displayed symptoms, as many as 30,000 hospitalisations and 12,500 deaths might be expected.

The highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of bird flu is endemic in poultry in parts of Asia, where it is known to have killed 64 people. Most human bird flu cases to date have been traced to close contact with infected chickens.

Mr Iemma said that in the event of an outbreak the following facilities will be established:

• Fever clinics - Buildings or rooms kept separate from hospital emergency departments that will be used to assess people showing symptoms of pandemic influenza. Their purpose is to ensure that EDs and GP surgeries are not overwhelmed with pandemic influenza cases.

• Staging facilities - Separate buildings that will provide for intermediate accommodation and patient care where it is not practical to manage them at home or in hospital.

• Influenza hospitals – All NSW hospitals are potential influenza hospitals. Hospitals will be graded according to suitability and activated according to the geographical spread and severity of a pandemic outbreak.

NSW Health Minister, John Hatzistergos said the Action Plan was a living document that would be revised as new overseas information is received and local planning progresses.

“All hospitals in NSW will be prepared for an influenza epidemic. Each Area Health Service will determine which hospitals are the most suitable depending on the location of any outbreak,” Mr Hatzistergos said.

“Tertiary level hospitals will be kept influenza free for as long as possible to protect their specialised functions in major trauma, surgery and cancer therapy.”

Mr Hatzistergos said the $5.6 million in funding would go towards:

• Establishing a Bio-preparedness Unit in NSW Health;
• Appointing a Pandemic Bio-preparedness Officer in each Area Health Service and the Ambulance Service;
• Rolling out a Public Health Emergency Database to map when and where hospital beds across the state are available in a pandemic;
• Running costs for 120 mechanical ventilators purchased by the Federal Government for use in NSW hospitals;
• Extending the Real Time ED Surveillance System that feeds information about influenza presentations at Emergency Departments;
• Training NSW Health experts in specialist emergency exercises;
• Appointing a logistics specialist to manage the State medical stockpile; and
• Purchasing added personal protective equipment for pandemic mass-vaccination teams.

The key principles of the Plan are prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. These principles will be applied to the following areas: