Will UK NHS continue to function in influenza pandemic?

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Will the NHS continue to function in an influenza pandemic?

13. May 2009 20:31

A survey of health care workers has revealed that as many as 85% may stay off

work if an influenza pandemic did take hold of the country.

The results of the survey, published in the open access journal BMC Public

Health, suggest that levels of absenteeism may be significantly higher than

current official estimates and that 'willingness', rather than 'ability', plays

the largest role in health care workers' decisions as to whether to go to work

or not.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham carried out the survey, in which

1032 healthcare workers responded to questions about the factors that may

influence their decisions whether or not to work during an influenza pandemic,

and what interventions might be effective in persuading them to work. The

research team report that as pandemic influenza is recognised by the Government

to be one of the most severe national risks, it is essential that health

services are able to manage the major demands that will be placed upon them.

Healthcare workers will be at the forefront of the response to a pandemic, and

if services are to be provided at sufficient levels, absenteeism from work must

be minimized.

Responses suggest that the likelihood of working may differ by job type. While

doctors were more likely to say they would attend, nurses and ancillary staff

were more likely to say they would stay away. The survey shows that willingness

to work during a pandemic will be strongly impacted by two types of factors.

Firstly, issues relating to family and caring responsibilities. Workers with

children or elderly family for whom they are carers would be more likely to be

absent from work if influenza illness at home (or the possibility of it) became

a worry. Second, issues relating to the work environment itself. These included

the possibility of having to take on duties for which a worker felt they had not

received training, being asked to work at a different place to normal, working

with untrained people, or fears of possible future litigation if mistakes were

made while working under abnormal conditions.

Measures intended to persuade health care workers to work as normal during a

pandemic will need to be tailored to different job types. But as the research

suggests, the groups who may be most in need of suitable interventions may also

be the least receptive.

The team conclude, " Potential levels of absenteeism may be significantly higher

than current official estimates, and that absenteeism could be particularly

marked amongst certain groups of workers. " This research provides important

information to assist with planning for a potential influenza pandemic.

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