Health professionals - planning resources

The principal influenza pandemic planning document for health care professionals and health services in NSW to be aware of is the NSW Health Influenza Pandemic Plan.

NSW public health units are an important source of information and guidance for health professionals and health services regarding pandemic influenza planning.

A number of current NSW Health policy directives and guidelines apply to pandemic influenza. These include:

• Hospital Response to Pandemic Influenza Part 1: Emergency Department Response – this document describes the Emergency Department component of a broader Area Health Service response to pandemic influenza.
• Influenza Pandemic - Providing Critical Care – this policy provides direction to NSW Area Health Services for the delivery of critical care services during an influenza pandemic.
• Report on Intensive Care Unit Surveillance Systems operational during the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza Response - This report considers the systems used in NSW and makes recommendations for future system development, especially when considering the potential for ICU surveillance systems to be used to detect a potential outbreak of severe illness.

See the Local health district section for other health service pandemic planning resources, and search for other relevant NSW Health policies and guidelines.

Additional resources

• NSW Government. NSW Human Influenza Pandemic Plan - The primary whole of government influenza pandemic plan for New South Wales.
• Australian Department of Health: Pandemic Influenza
• World Health Organization. Pandemic Preparedness Framework
• NHMRC. Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare (2019)
• Additional resources may be available from professional organisations.