Swine Flu -where's the locum contingency?

We've worked hard as far as we have been able over the last two or three years to persuade many groups (Companies, PCT's, LPC's, locums, pharmacies) to have contingency plans in place should their pharmacy be affected by any pandemic, not just this current Swine Flu outbreak. Few people appear to have thought us relevant and so have either ignored us or, as we suspect, might not have given the remotest thought to community pharmacy.

If your manager, pharmacist or locum gets hit wirh Swine Flu, what do you plan to do? Call or -email us and assume we can fulfil demand? Have you considered the possible cost? We have enough of a fight getting the summer holidays covered for some pharmacies at a cost which they feel to be reasonable, what will happen to costs in a pandemic?

We might have to persuade people to work in your area from another part of the country. Such people will need accomodation in most cases. They might not want to come to work in an area where Swine Flu has taken hold in any case, irrespective of what they might want to charge.

If you're a locum, are you aware that you have a contractual liability to provide a replacement if you are unable to fulfil a locum booking? Swine Flu is no exemption from this obligation, but in real terms, could you obtain a replacement?

As usual, down at the coal face, too little thought has been given to keeping the pharmacy network going if and when things do go wrong. Some long days and nights look to be in store for those left holding the baby and thos of us who will do our best to help.