North-east bosses urged to plan for staff shortages

Company bosses across the north-east are being urged to draw up plans for keeping their businesses going if large numbers of staff become ill with swine flu later this summer.

Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bob Collier said the new forecasts represent a step change following earlier projections that the flu would start having an appreciable effect later in the autumn.

He said: “Clearly this new advice today means we have got to accelerate our plans to disseminate advice and guidance to our members on business continuity plans, best practice and commonsense precautions.”

He added: “This does raise concern about the potential impact on productivity and business performance if there are substantial work absences due to ill health.

“It is not what any of us would choose to happen at the peak of a recession.”

Scottish Council for Development and Industry spokesman Niall Stuart said: “It seems inevitable that the epidemic will undoubtedly have an impact on business and the economy, and we urge all public and private sector organisations to start planning now for significant staff absences.”

Across the north and north-east, the number of confirmed cases continued to grow yesterday.

Five further cases of travel-related H1N1 were confirmed in Tayside, bringing the total number of cases in the region to 25. An NHS Highland spokeswoman said there were 133 confirmed cases in the health board’s area, 129 of which are in Argyll and Bute Council region.

NHS Grampian said there are seven confirmed cases in the region. Grampian Health Board said its pandemic flu plan was activated at the end of April.

Medical director Dr Roelf Dijkhuizen said: “Given the relatively small number of cases in this area and the preparatory work we have done, we are well placed to move from containment to treatment. We have been working closely with GP practices and our advice to the public remains as before – please remain calm, but also be vigilant, particularly with regard to good hygiene.”

NHS Tayside director of public health Dr Drew Walker said: “This move to the treatment phase does not mean that the virus is getting more severe or that there is cause for alarm. It simply means that we are seeing a rise in the number of cases and are adapting our approach to dealing with this.

“We have an ample supply of anti-virals in Tayside and we have extensive plans for their distribution.”

Queen of the South defender Bob Harris, 21, has become the second player at the Dumfries-based football club to be diagnosed with swine flu.

Paul Burns, a midfielder with the Irn-Bru First Division club, has also contracted the H1N1 virus.

Manager Gordon Chis-holm said: “Bobby Harris has been laid low with swine flu.

“He caught it while on holiday with his pals in Ibiza but it’s no worse than Paul Burns and he’s just been told to rest and stay at home until the weekend.”