Swine flu hits council staff

July 14, 2009

| Submit Comments | Comments (14) | Previous | Next

Telegraph House in Rochdale

SIX Rochdale Council staff are recovering at home after being struck down by swine flu.

The workers, who are based at Telegraph House in the town centre, were diagnosed with the potentially-deadly virus over the past 10 days.

Swine flu archive

Town hall chiefs told their workforce of the outbreak by email this week and advised any employees with flu-like symptoms to stay off work.

An authority spokesman confirmed the cases and said that staff had been given advice by email on how to prevent the virus spreading and guidance on what to do if they suspect they have contracted swine flu.

It is thought that the alert began after a worker on floor six of the building contracted the disease about a fortnight ago.

Since then, five colleagues in the performance and development department, which including the council's press office, have been confirmed as having the condition.

Jane Silvester, the council's acting head of performance and development, said: "There have been a small number of cases in the council, which are all being dealt with following NHS guidance and all council services are operating as normal.

"Staff who have flu-like symptoms are being asked to stay at home and check their symptoms either on NHS Choices website or by talking to a GP over the phone."

A spokeswoman for NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, whose staff are also based at Telegraph House, said none of her employees have developed any symptoms.

She reiterated that there was no need for the wider community to panic but urged anyone with symptoms to remain at home, not to visit their GP and instead to seek medical advice by phone.

Last week it was revealed that 32 cases of swine flu have been clinically confirmed in Rochdale, including a small number of cases at Hollingworth Business and Enterprise College, Heybrook Primary, Broadfield Primary and Rochdale Girls' schools.

All those affected are said to be 'recovering well'.

| Submit Comments | Comments (14) | Previous | Next

Showing comments 1 to 14 and replies | View All

John Barber (14/07/2009 at 11:27)

Yes staff are being advised not to come to work if they have flu like symptoms, but also that any absence will still be counted for absence monitoring purposes. In otherwords, if being off with swine flu sends you over a 'trigger' point you can still be put on monitoring and considered for possible dismissal. Rock and a hard place.

Steve (14/07/2009 at 12:27)

John, its the same with many goverment organisations. Simple answer, go into work infect the lot and then those who would be doing the monitoring will be busy monitoring themselves. Or is that very cynical?

Tricky Times, Peoples Republic of Stalybridge (14/07/2009 at 13:08)

Its generally accepted that goverment employment comes with a massive sick-note culture, due to the generous terms compared with the private sector. If those who easily take to the duvet at the slightest headache find themselves in trouble as a result of this, they have no-one to blame but themselves.

PW, Manchester (14/07/2009 at 13:08)

I'm off work now with really debilitating flu, which I've never had during the summer months, and is very odd for me. I've no intention of getting dressed, let alone going out of the house. I avoid these silly remedies that dry you up as they make me dehydrated and magnify chest/asthma problems. The biggest mystery to me is how do you get it diagnosed when you have to stay at home and avoid human contact?

The standard advice on NHS website is that for normal flu, which I'm following, but I'm in no position to recognise it as H1N1. Experience has taught me not to seek assistance for flu when I can breath ok, particularly when there is little a doctor can do for you anyway. This disease must be much more widespread than they actually know.

JAM65 (14/07/2009 at 13:17)

PW,

I was wondering exactly the same thing.

JAM65 (14/07/2009 at 13:19)

Also,

more panic reporting: '....were diagnosed with the potentially-deadly virus over the past 10 days. '

All flu is potentially deadly,

Alan Hornsby (14/07/2009 at 13:25)

John, anyone who is near the trigger point is likely to be a malingerer. It's actually very easy to spot the difference between genuine illness and duvet days

Count Arthur Strong, Hulme (14/07/2009 at 17:11)

From my dealings with Council staff in Manchester, swine flu infected them many years ago.

Rammylad (14/07/2009 at 22:15)

Why are the government so keen to strees that those dying have underlying medical issues. It seems to be priority one to blame anything but swine flu.

My wife was called to a council office once as part of an after care service having designed the mech system. Aparently a lady was freezing due to the mech system not working so off my wife went to the site and found the adjacent exit door open. It was February and snowing and the door was open. When my wife said the doors open, the stupid council lady said, but I didn't open it. arrrgggghhhhh! Lets hope swine flu has caught up with her.

Rammylad (14/07/2009 at 22:17)

John B, I say go in to work if you have flu and give it to everyone then if they count it against you for any days off you do have, everyone else will also have it counted against them. Companies can be thick that way can't they. Or should I say HR women with too much power and too many forms to create can be a bit thick.

WhoKnowz, Manchester (15/07/2009 at 00:12)

PW, you've diagnosed your illness so don't need a doctor to tell you and as long as it runs the normal course you don't need a doctor to treat you. However, should you have symptoms that you wouldn't expect with flu, especially with your chest, then seek medical help. Common sense should prevail.

PW, Manchester (15/07/2009 at 08:06)

Whoknowz, I'm in complete agreement with you, and I'm not seeking any attention. My real point is that the medical authorities are not getting the complete data on which to base their death rates etc. I believe it is measured at 1 in 200, but those figures are only based on those who seek help and have it diagnosed. I am following official advice by staying at home, and therefore not being tallied into the system. On that basis, the death rate must be a lot less, as there has to be tens of thousands who recover on their own, remaining outside the system. The official data must be skewed. One doesn't have to be a statistician to understand that.

Mike S, Manchester (15/07/2009 at 09:25)

We've had an e-mail at work saying that if someone in your family gets swine 'flu, then you still have to come into work unless you start exhibiting symptoms yourself. We have been specifically told this type of absence would lead to disciplinary action. That's the private sector for you!

I'm just happy the council staff are off with genuine illnesses for once...

Steven Porter (16/07/2009 at 18:53)

Wythenshawe Hospital has swin flu infected patients on wards with people un infected, they also have a large tent which should be situated outside the hospital to asses patients but this is not happening as they have no staff to man it. If you look around manchester NHS refrigerated units are being set up to cope with deaths in the area, I have spotted these at the rear of Wythenshawe Hospital and also in the old bingo grounds on hyde road in Gorton. Why are people not being told the complete truth about swine flu from the government and local health authorities. I know of 15 cases admitted to Wythenshawe hospital on Monday and there were also many more over the last weekend. Do the authorities think we don't see what is happening. This is causing panic with local people and will get worse if people are not properly informed. One patient from Wythenshawe hospital was allowed to wander from casualty through pediatrics without bing challanged. The hospital also has a large supply of masks ect which can protect you for 14 hours but the staff have been told they are not too be issued with them as its too late now !

()

Report

News