If you are confident that you think you have Swine Flu then please phone the treatment line to automatically order your treatment over the phone by ringing Information 0800 1 513 100
If swine flu is diagnosed, the National Flu Pandemic Helpline
may recommend you take a course of antiviral medication. This should be collected for you by a healthy friend or relative from a collection point advised by the National Flu Pandemic helpline
General hygiene can help to reduce transmission of all viruses, including the swine flu virus. This includes:
Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible
Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully
Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to your face or to other people
Cleaning hard surfaces (such as door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.
For the latest information from the following sources click:
Video for patients who speak Bengali on what to do if they think they have Swine Flu
What to do if you think you have Swine Flu
Patients and the public are hearing on the TV, radio and in newspapers about the rapid spread of Swine Flu. Understandably there is concern about this and what might happen if you or your loved one contracts symptoms. If you do not have a thermometer then NOW is the time to get one. It is essential that you have a thermometer so that you can help the doctor or nurse to make a diagnosis.
In an effort to try to allay fears as well as explain what we are trying to do to keep patients informed, we have produced the following guidance based on the latest advice that we are getting from NHS Tameside & Glossop. If you are not sure what to do then please contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647. However we do appreciate that their phone lines are busy too and that you may be held in a queue.
So what do you do if you or a loved one falls ill and you are wondering about whether you may have contracted Swine Flu?
Do NOT panic
. Our advice is for you toeither contact the National Flu Pandemic Helpline
on 0800 1 513 513 or go through the NHS Direct symptom checker
which can advise you on whether you may have Swine Flu and whether you need to contact the practice. PLEASE USE THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE rather than contacting the surgery or going to the out of hours or A & E. The services are under severe pressure and we are keen for you to try to do this as much as possible. Your co-operation would be greatly appreciated. The National Flu Pandemic Helpine may be busy at times - if this is the case the please try again later. They are experiencing very high volumes of calls / hits on the website.However if you feel you cannot wait for them then you can of course contact the practice.
How do we diagnose Swine Flu?
You MUST fulfil the following criteria (a + [b or c])
Fever (more than 38oC) or a history of fever
AND
Influenza like illness which includes TWO or MORE of the following symptoms
cough;
sore throat;
rhinorrhoea (runny nose)
limb or joint pain;
headache;
vomiting
diarrhoea
OR
severe and/or life-threatening illness suggestive of an infectious process
What happens if you think you have Swine Flu based on the above criteria?
Go to the National Pandemic Flu Helpline
website or phone them on 0800 1 513 100. If you are UNABLE to get through then try again later.If you have severe symptoms which are NOT like flu then call the surgery so that we can assess you over the telephone
Please clearly state whether you are PREGNANT, BREAST FEEDING or if YOUR KIDNEYS are NOT working as well as they should (RENAL IMPAIRMENT). This is important as we will need to vary the dose of treatment based on these factors
If the person is a CHILD then we also need to know how old they are and THEIR WEIGHT.
The treatment for children under 1 is not licensed for this age group. The clinician will discuss with you the benefits vs the potential harm in treating your baby with an unlicensed product.
Certain patients are considered higher risk and ought to start treatment within 48 hours of starting with symptoms. They include:
those with long-term lung, kidney, neurological, liver or heart disease;
children under five;
people over 65;
those with diabetes mellitus;
the immunosuppressed (whether caused by disease or treatment);
patients who have had drug treatment for asthma within the past three years; and
pregnant women.
If you do need to contact the practice and are unable to contact the National Flu Pandemic Helpline
then please download the form below and fill it in for anybody that thinks they have SWINE FLU. It will help us to process you quickly but safely and ensure all the information is to hand so tat we can provide the correct treatment. YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED so that we can deal with you as quickly as possible but also minimize any risks
Most importantly, we do NOT want anybody who thinks they may have swine flu to come to the surgery. The last thing you want is for the clinicians to fall ill too. PLEASE SEND A FRIEND WHO IS NOT SUFFERING WITH FLU TO THE SURGERY.
Is the National Flu Epidemic Helpline
just to give advice on swine flu? How do patients get treatment for Swine flu too?
The National Flu Epidemic Helpline has been set up to help diagnose patients with swine flu based on the symptoms they have AND if the patients qualify for treatment then to issue them with instructions on how they can get treatment. You do NOT need to go to the surgery to see a GP in order to get treatment. If you are confident you have swine flu then you can order treatment over the telephone by ringing Information 0800 1 513 100. This has been set up to help to take pressure away from the practice so that we can continue to treat patients with other health-related problems. It is essential that you go to the National Flu Epidemic Helpline
for further advice if you think you or a loved one may have contracted Swine Flu.
What happens when your FLU FRIEND comes to the surgery?
We will issue the friend with a VOUCHER for antiviral treatment
Before 6pm your friend should go eith to the Ashton Primary Care Centre with the voucher to collect the anti-viral treatment
After 6pm you can either wait until the next day to collect your antiviral treatment OR if the clinician thinks you need it before the morning then you should contact GoToDoc on 0161-785-0805 who will advise you where to get the voucher from that evening and how to collect the antiviral treatment
Please NOTE - we do NOT stock any antiviral treatments and nor do any pharmacies or chemists
Also please note patients are entitled to ONE COURSE of treatment
What about childen under 1 years old? Because the dose for patients can vary depending on age the national flu line will refer patients to us. In this instance we should complete a voucher as under current circumstances, which the FLU FRIEND will take to the antiviral collection point for the supply of antiviral solution.
What happens to residents in Care Homes if somebody is identified with Swine Flu? If staff or residents in care homes and are patients of ours are showing symptoms of swine flu then they shoud contact the practice. We will liase with the PCT as well as the Health Protection Agency to determine the relevant action in the circumstances. This may involve swabbing and prophylactic doses for other residents or staff. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis with advice from the PCT and the Heath Protection Agency.
What happens if your condition worsens whilst you are on treatment? If your condition worsens after 7 days (5 days if you are a child) then you are advised to contact the practice so that we can review you again.
Patients who have very serious underlying illnesses eg the immunocompromised / renal patient etc and develop any of the folloing symptoms should contact the practice immediately:
persistent vomiting
severe earache
persistent watery diarrhoea
markedly reduced urine output
dry nappie
drinking much less than usual (ess than half feeds if bottle fed)
How will we determine who needs to be admitted into hospital due to SEVERE SWINE FLU?
The Department of Health has issued guidance for clinicians to help determine who should be referred to the hospital for adults as well as children.
Your understanding and co-operation is greatly appreciated. It is essential that patients do NOT go to A&E unless absolutely necessary as they are already working very hard to ensure those with greatest need can be seen as soon as possible.
The above advice has been collected on the best evidence we have to date and is what the doctors and nurses at Haughton Thornley Medical Centres are using to base their clinical decisions on.
Whilst considering the above advice, this may be an ideal opportunity for YOU and YOUR FAMILY to get access to their GP electronic health records so that you can manage your health better without having to necessarily come to the surgery. If you would like to know how then ask for your PIN NUMBERS from the receptionist and send Dr Hannan an e-mail on
htmcpatient@nhs.net asking how you can get access to your records. He will send further information to you. Now is the time to be prepared for the worst but hope for the best.
Together we can support each other to ensure everybody gets the best care possible. Please direct all patients of ours to this website so that you get up to date information at all times.
Maintain important details of your own health record online - 
