Pandemic influenza

Derbyshire County Council is co-ordinating a massive community response across the county to make sure vulnerable residents are supported through the coronavirus outbreak.

And it’s urging Derbyshire’s strong network of community groups, voluntary and business organisations to help by signing up to be part of the Derbyshire Community Response Unit.

Groups, organisations and businesses are being urged to get in touch if they can provide goods or offer to help deliver services such as:

• Food shopping and delivery
• Checking up on people who are isolated with a phone call or online to help prevent loneliness and check whether there is anything they need
• Collecting and delivering prescriptions
• Preparing meals

Community groups, businesses and other organisations would be part of the coordinated community response – which will also include volunteers from Derbyshire Emergency Volunteers, Peak 4x4, British Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance.

Any groups that think they may be able to help are asked to register their details – even if they have already been in touch to offer help – via the county council’s website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/communityresponse 

If you are concerned about coronavirus see the information provided on the Gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public

An effective response to a pandemic will require the co-operation of a wide range of organisations and the active support of the public. 

As there may be very little time to develop or finalise preparations, effective pre-planning is essential. Many important features of a pandemic will not become apparent until after it has started (ie when person-to-person transmission has become sustained), so plans must be:

• constructed to deal with a wide range of possibilities
  
• based on an integrated, multi-sector approach
  
• built on effective service and business continuity arrangements
  
• responsive to local challenges (eg rural issues) and needs
  
• supported by strong local, regional and national leadership, and
  
• in line with national planning guidelines.

Our multi-agency Strategic Plan for Pandemic Influenza is designed to co-ordinate the non-health aspects of a pandemic influenza outbreak. The plan is a living document, and will be updated and revised as new guidance is released by Government.