Report on Flu 'pandemic' response

Experts believe that a new influenza pandemic is overdue

Contingency plans for a flu pandemic have been outlined in a report by the NHS in the East of England (NHS EoE).

A serious outbreak of a new type of influenza could lead to more than 6,500 deaths in the East, the study said.

The NHS EoE has bought pandemic flu and disaster management software for every GP in the East and carried out checks on the preparedness of hospitals.

The report comes after the NHS EoE's revised Pandemic Flu plan was agreed in September 2008.

Dr Paul Cosford, regional director of public health at NHS EoE, said: "The plan outlines the NHS East of England's responsibilities to ensure the organisation's ability to maintain business continuity, to act as the regional headquarters of the NHS and to oversee the response of the NHS in the region to a pandemic."

The report said in the East of England a pandemic would see 1.5m clinical cases and 300,000 doctor appointments.

The NHS in the East of England covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.