BBC article on swine flu care, eeek!

I just read this article and wonder what others thought of it, its quite concerning if it came to this!

tinyurl.com/l8e27h

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this is typical of the BBC reporting on the current situation, and lack of information, but if there is any truth to it, no matter how small then it goes against the whole NHS and the ethics of doctors in general.

The article has several issues that raise questions, if the swine flu is mild for the majority, then surely ITU beds would be better suited to those with more severe underlying conditions, that need the help, after all, all the reporting says normal healthy people get over it OK.

Second, is how can you start to judge who is more valuable in society, someone in there 20's or a 40's with family, the 20 something could be a drunk, or drug user, does that still mean they get priority, but what about the parent, with kids, who will support the family?

This is scaremongering at best and if a small amount of truth, then it stick, and serious questions need to be asked, and the government needs to be held accountable, we know what may happen, we have time to prepare, so why not act now.

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This is a frightening story. But I don't believe it will be the situation in the UK. Our Chief Medical Advisers are reassured that the UK genuinely is amongst the best prepared countries in the world when it comes to a flu pandemic, and we have huge orders for anti-virals and vaccines. I have visited a number of hospitals who have been preparing for this for many months and we are speaking to the Dept Health on an ongoing basis. My feeling so far is that we need to make sure we are on top of our asthma management and be alert to the first sign of flu and call the GP (in preference to the phone line) for the anti-virals. I understand a vaccine could be available from the beginning of September. But please do let us know if you have any problems with the arrangements the NHS has put in place.

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I was unusually listening to 5live earlier, and they had a specialist on talking about swine flu, who he actually talked sense, and actually said that there are other more viral infections around at the moment that cause symptoms very similar, and that actually 9 out of 10 that claim to have swine flu, actually probably have some other virus, that is always around, and will cause nothing more than a mild flu like symptoms, but don't be complacent, as it will strike in the autumn/winter.

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Well I'm a rare hypochondriac and panicker, but even to me that read as a load of hypothetical tosh!

If there really were too many people in need of intensive care, the Government would simply redirect cash and resources to create more temporary ICUs in hospitals...maybe cancel non-urgent operations, cancel staff leave and such like.

And if large swathes of the population were really so terribly ill, I think serious containment - 'shutting down' workplaces and schools like they did in Mexico City - would swing into action.

I don't know much about Australia's health service....maybe they are admitting more swine flu patients as a precaution and for containment of the bug. Or do they have private healthcare, or fewer hospitals serving much larger areas?