National Pandemic Flu Service
If you have flu-like symptoms call 0800 151 3100 or follow the links below for more information
What is the National Pandemic Flu Service?
A telephone hotline manned by 1,500 operators trained to help callers to identify if they have swine flu. A website will also help people to diagnose themselves
Who will answer the phone?
The Government has brought in recruitment agencies and call-centre companies to provide staff — at least 2,000 operators to staff the 1,500 phones in shifts, at call centres in Bristol, Plymouth, Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor, Newry and elsewhere. One of these firms is Teleperformance UK, whose staff usually handle calls for Sainsburys, the Identity and Passport Service and debt collection lines. According to Unison, some will come from other government departments, too.
Will they be medically trained?
Operators will not have medical training and will be paid less than £7 an hour, working shifts from 8am-11pm
How will they be any use at all?
They will not be seeking to identify different conditions, but only to ascertain whether a caller is suffering from a specific set of symptoms: in this case headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperature, coughs and fever
How will they do this?
They will be trained to use a diagnostic computer program called InterfleCS Health Watch, which has been tested rigorously, according to the Department of Health, and which will guide them as they ask for callers’ symptoms. It will then help them to ascertain how serious a caller’s infection is, and if it has the characteristics of swine flu. The website will offer the same process direct to the public
Then what?
If you have the symptoms, you will be given an authorisation number that you should give to a “flu friend” — someone who is not infected — who can pick up free antiviral medication from your nearest antiviral collection point. You may also be referred to a GP in more serious cases or where other conditions may cause complications
Do I have to use the service or can I still contact my GP?
People with chronic lung, kidney or heart disease, as well as those aged over 65 or those with children under 5, are being advised to keep in touch with their GP, but can still call the National Pandemic Flu Service. The Department of Health is advising parents with children under 1 year to contact their GP as soon as possible if their child is showing symptoms of swine flu
How long will it run?
Staff are being hired on temporary contracts. The expectation is that the service will run for the next six months, depending on the spread and severity of swine flu
