Health Sciences Pandemic Planning Guidelines

Introduction

This document is based on the report of a Health Sciences Pandemic Planning Group to Professor Don Roberton, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Health Sciences (‘PVC’). The group was asked to consider appropriate policy for the Division of Health Sciences in relation to the following issues:

1. Guidelines for consideration of closure of academic activities in the event of a pandemic.
2. Public Health issues relating to the welfare of students and staff.
3. Interaction with, and concordance with, policies and activities of District Health Boards (DHBs) with which we are associated.
4. Issues in relation to the health and welfare of clinically active staff who may be asked to assist on the provision of health care in the event of a pandemic.
5. Issues relation to the health and welfare of students who may be asked to volunteer or participate in clinical care in the event of a pandemic.

The group also provided comment on the NZ Medical Students Association pandemic response document.

General

The Division of Health Science complies with University wide policy, DHB and Ministry of Health policies.

The following is supplementary specific advice relevant to health science students and staff.

See also: http://www.otago.ac.nz/administration/pandemic

Specific Advice

1. Guidelines for the consideration of closure of academic activities in the event of a pandemic.
   1. The University Pandemic Business Continuity Plan will provide mechanisms for the consideration of closure of activities where social distancing is not possible (e.g. lecture, tutorials)
   2. Decisions about closure of Health Science academic activities should be dealt with as part of the University mechanism. At the time lectures are suspended, clinical teaching should also stop. Nevertheless, after initial control measures are in place, and the size and progression of the pandemic is clearer, this decision should be revisited by the PVC. For example, if the attack rate was relatively low and efforts to separate infected patients from those who are not likely to be infected were effective, it is possible that educational activities that include contact with the non-infected stream of patients could be re-started. A group to advise the PVC from within Health Sciences should be set up at that time.
   3. The length of closure would be affected by the duration of the epidemic. In the case of a prolonged duration epidemic, the Division of Health Sciences should develop web based teaching and other strategies for continuing health sciences education while maintaining a high level of social distance where possible.
   4. For medicine trainee interns, teaching will not be affected in the same way as they work largely in an apprenticeship mode and are part of the clinical team (See section 5 (ii) below).
      
      
2. Public health issues relating to the welfare of students and staff
   1. Hand hygiene procedures should be complied with on all campuses
   2. All Health Science students should be directed to the University website resources in relation to infection control.
      
      See also: http://www.otago.ac.nz/administration/pandemic/workplacehealthsafety.html
      
      
3. Interaction with, and concordance with policies and activities of DHBs and Health Services.
   1. Students have the competing needs of clinical education and safety. Both need to be considered by the University, which has primary responsibility for them, and by the DHBs.
   2. The Faculty of Medicine will provide advice for medical students on a reasonable scope of practice for students at different stages of the course, in the event that medical students are asked to act as volunteers in clinical services (see 5 below).
      
      Similar advice will be provided by other Schools (Dentistry, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy) depending on requirements and needs for their students.
      
      
   3. The Faculty of Medicine will liaise with DHBs to ensure that policies with regard to medical students are consistent. The following principles underpin such policies:
      1. Risks need to be assessed on a case by case basis
      2. The University has ultimate responsibility for the students and may decide to withdraw students from the hospital or health services
      3. Students should not be required to be exposed to any unnecessary risk
         
         
4. Issues in relation to the health and welfare of clinically active staff who may be asked to assist in the provision of health care in the event of a pandemic.
   1. If joint clinical staff in the Faculty of Medicine are not teaching and if there is a demand for clinical services by the DHB, such staff should be able to work for the DHB in the University time.
   2. The Faculty of Medicine will discuss the University Pandemic Business Continuity Plan with Human Resources, with the view to ensuring that the Plan has sufficient flexibility to allow this to happen.
   3. Similar health care contributions by clinically active staff in Dentistry, Physiotherapy and Pharmacy will be considered as the need arises.
      
      
5. Issues relating to the health and welfare of students who may be asked to volunteer or participate in clinical care in the event of a pandemic.
   1. Health science students who participate in clinical care should be volunteers
   2. Trainee interns are medical students and are the responsibility of the University, although they are part of the clinical team. Trainee Interns should therefore be considered under the same framework as other Health Science students
   3. Education in general infection precautions and control strategies should be the prior responsibility of the University
   4. DHBs should not ask medical students to perform tasks outside the scopes of practice as advised by the Faculty of Medicine (see 3(ii)) above
   5. DHBs have a responsibility to provide specific education on infection control and appropriate personal protective equipment
   6. Trainee interns should not be asked to perform duties beyond their clinical competence.

Working Party:

Professor Charlotte Paul (Convenor), Dr John Adams, Dr Patricia Priest, Professor Stephen Chambers, Dr Michael Baker

Guidelines confirmed – Professor Don Roberton, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Health Sciences 22 February 2007, updated 30 April 2009.