EBME Forums Forums Management Training Pandemic Flu preparation

Hi
In our office we've been discussing the potential impact on staff and patients should the swine flu pandemic reach critical proportions.

One of the things that came up was that some staff who have not had to work on wards for many years may need to backfill for staff off sick, and so will need updating on the core equipment on the ward.

Has anyone else been looking at this? Any suggestions?
Karen Brown

Hi,
We are getting mild flu condition here and does not need to admit patients unless the patient has other critical illnesses else they will be sent home. It will require alot of manpower resources if the Trust keep on admitting them.

Are you talking about biomed techs here, nurses ... or whom?

In my experience of working in hospitals, having "flu like" symptoms (yet carrying on regardless) was more or less par for the course. Or perhaps I was just "lucky"!

Most hospital staff (exposed as they are to "everything that comes along") have pretty robust immune systems! If they didn't, they would be off sick more often than being at work. And, I believe I'm right in saying that (in the UK at least), all swine flu related deaths have occurred in cases where there were "underlying health issues".

However, the government predictions show that up to 85% of health workers will be unable to attend their place of work if there is a full blown swine flu outbreak!!!!

We have been briefed to expect a 30% reduction in staff at any time during the pandemnic.
Therefore we have started contingency planning, examples of which have been a Skills Audit (what other skills have we gained in previous employment etc). What other areas (within Clinical Engineering) would we be comfortable in and what level of experience we have on equipment in these other areas. (i.e an ITU Technician could cover NNU if one of their techs is sick).
Also we have been asked to compile lists of equipment which we could abstain from servicing, repair etc and concentrate on prioritising life support equipment or greatest needs of the service.
Topper

Yes forward planning is important but is the Trust monitoring staff daily health condition? Here monitoring of staff falling sick is equally important so that you will not be caught in a situation where patient care is compromise.

How long does it take to "remember" how to find their way to the wards?

And how long to "remember" about the kit found out on the wards? An hour? A day?

Have they done it yet?

Thought you would have Disaster and Emergency plans already drawn up, and not just for 'swine flu' forward planning.

I'm afraid that there are people about who tend to make a "federal case" out of everything that comes along, Mate. Indeed some even make a career out of that sort of thing!

Every "disaster" has its own boxes that need to be ticked, don't you know! If all disasters were the same, following the same (well practiced ... not) plan, then where would we be? You'll be saying next that we don't need Disaster Managers! And Emergencies and Disasters need completely different plans, you know.

When it comes to "calling a meeting", one excuse is as good as another, I suppose!

Still, it beats having to do some actual work, eh?

And probably get £50K+ a year!