8th May 2009
By Alex Klaushofer
The Taxpayers’ Alliance has criticised government spending on measures to combat swine flu.
Figures from the Department of Health put the cost of the government’s public information campaign to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus at £7m. This includes a leaflet delivered to every household in the UK, a television and poster advertising campaign and a helpline providing recorded information.
But the chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, Matthew Elliott, said the money would be better spent on treating flu sufferers. ‘These leaflets are not the most efficient or cost-effective way of educating the public on swine flu,’ he said. ‘Worried taxpayers want concrete solutions, not trite common sense coming through their front door telling them to sneeze into a tissue.’
So far, the government has spent £500m on preparedness — a figure that includes the cost of stockpiling antiviral drugs and vaccines since 2005. But the figure excludes the additional costs of the government’s
April 29 decision to increase its supplies of the antiviral drug Tamiflu from 33 million courses of treatment to 50 million.
The news follows the appointment of a senior NHS executive to oversee the operational side of the government’s response to the epidemic in England.
Ian Dalton, chief executive of NHS North East, has been seconded to the newly created post of national director for NHS Flu Resilience. ‘Preparing for and dealing with the threat of pandemic flu is extremely important,’ he said. ‘I am looking forward to working with colleagues throughout England to ensure the NHS continues to respond appropriately to any developing situation.’
With five schools shut after pupils fell ill with the H1N1 virus, government officials and exam regulators are developing contingency plans if large-scale closures coincide with GCSE and A-level exams, due to begin next week.
