Devolved Administrations
The devolved administrations are responsible for the major areas of
pandemic influenza planning and response in their respective countries.
This section provides information on pandemic flu preparedness arrangements
in the Devolved Administrations.
Scotland
A Scottish framework for responding to an influenza pandemic October 2007
Managing the impact of a pandemic presents us with unique and difficult
challenges if we are to save lives and keep our society running. The
Scottish Government has been working very hard to meet these challenges
both across Scotland and as part of the wider UK planning.
The majority of emergency preparedness work in Scotland is conducted at a
local level, and carried forward by Strategic Co-ordinating Groups which
comprise key local responders in each of Scotland’s eight police force
areas. This is backed by a range of work underway at a national level to
support these local planning arrangements.
The Scottish framework sets out the Scottish Government's strategic
approach to dealing with an influenza pandemic, provides information on the
potential impact, sets out key planning assumptions and proposes a planning
framework. It updates the UK health departments’ UK Influenza Pandemic
Contingency Plan, published in October 2005, expanding it to illustrate the
breadth of planning across many different sectors.
This framework alongside other guidance and planning activities for
Scotland can be found at:
Wales
Wales Pandemic Influenza Response Arrangements
The Wales Pandemic Influenza Response Arrangements sets out the pan-Wales
response arrangements that will be put in place to co-ordinate the response
to an influenza pandemic in Wales. This document, along with individual LRF
multi-agency pandemic influenza response plans, will be available on this
site from 31st March 2008 following a review process. In the meantime, the
Welsh Assembly Government website contains information explaining pandemic
flu, why we are planning for it, and what we are doing now to minimise any
future impact.
The Local Resilience Forums (LRFs), based on the Police force areas of
South Wales, North Wales, Dyfed-Powys and Gwent, provide the statutory
basis for multi-agency planning for an influenza pandemic in Wales.
Guidance has been issued to support this work in the form of the Wales
Framework for Managing Major Infectious Disease Emergencies. This document
focuses on the need for organisations to have robust business continuity
arrangements in place and to engage in co-ordinated multi-agency planning
to implement any social measures that may be recommended, provide for
integrated working with health services on areas such as the use of medical
countermeasures, plan for handling excess deaths and prepare for any wider
impacts. Through the LRF structure there is also a mechanism for
establishing the progress being made with local planning and for testing
plans. The Wales Resilience Forum, chaired by the First Minister for Wales,
provides the mechanism for a national multi-agency overview of pandemic
preparedness in Wales.
Northern Ireland
Pandemic Influenza Planning in Northern Ireland
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) takes
the lead in health contingency planning for pandemic influenza and is
represented in national UK pandemic planning structures. Pandemic planning
work is progressed through a core DHSSPS pandemic planning group, which has
a large number of sub-groups that mirror those at national level. Each
Health and Social Services Board and Health and Social Care Trust has
identified 'flu leads', who meet regularly as a group and oversee
planning for their respective organisation.
Cross-cutting aspects of Pandemic Influenza planning in Northern Ireland
are managed by two sub-groups of the Civil Contingencies Group, Northern
Ireland. The Pandemic Influenza Sub-group is the main
mechanism for sharing information on the potential impact of Pandemic
Influenza on the public and essential services and for co-ordinating
preparedness across government in Northern Ireland. Membership is made up
of representatives of the NI departments, the emergency services, district
councils and other key agencies. The Pandemic Fatalities Management
Sub-group considers planning to manage additional deaths as a
result of a Pandemic. Both Sub-groups are facilitated by the Civil
Contingencies Policy Branch of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy
First Minister.
The sub-groups are currently working on draft guidance for the public
sector and essential services in Northern Ireland on planning for the
response to Pandemic Influenza. For further information please contact
Civil Contingencies Policy Branch on ccpb@ofmdfmni.gov.uk or telephone 028
90528641.
Information on Pandemic Influenza planning can be found in the following
DHSSPS document, which is currently under review.
Interim Influenza Pandemic Plan - Contingency Plan
The aim of this document is to provide a framework for Northern
Ireland's response to an influenza pandemic within an overall UK
national approach. The plan aims to facilitate a prompt and effective
regional and local response should an influenza pandemic occur or seem
likely. The response is based on phases defined by WHO which trigger
escalating public health action, starting with plans which need to be put
in place and tested, during inter-pandemic periods.
An inter-agency response will be required and the relevant agencies, the
roles and responsibilities of these organisations and their lines of
communication are defined. The plan primarily concentrates on the regional
response but also provides a framework for development of local plans which
should clearly allocate responsibilities.
