Written question asked by Richard Taylor (Independent (affiliation)) on Wednesday, 3 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 5 March 2010. It was answered by Baroness Merron (Labour) on Thursday, 11 March 2010 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Influenza: Health Services

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that the findings from his assessment of the swine influenza pandemic campaign will inform planning for the NHS response to seasonal influenza.

Answer: We have already learned many lessons from the swine flu pandemic, which we are currently consolidating. The national response to the swine flu pandemic will be subject to rigorous scrutiny to assess its appropriateness, effectiveness and value for money, alongside local and regional reviews of the national health service response. The timetable for this work has not yet been finalised. The Department always evaluates its public communications campaigns and uses the results to inform planning for future activity. This information is also shared with those involved in communications in the NHS.The Department is currently planning for the 2010-11 seasonal influenza vaccination programme. These and future plans will be informed by the experience from previous seasonal flu vaccination programmes, as well as the experience from the swine flu vaccination programme.

Secondary information