Hospital pandemic preparedness: health care workers’ opinions on working during a pandemic

To the Editor: Influenza experts have warned of the possibility of an influenza pandemic, and planning for such an event is underway.1,2 The provision of health care during a pandemic will pose particular challenges. Health care workers will be at risk of exposure, and will become ill at rates similar to those for the general population. Compounding inevitable staff shortages will be health care workers absent from work because of a need to care for dependents or fear of catching influenza. Prompted by discussions on an appropriate response to pandemic influenza, we solicited opinions from employees within our network (including medical, nursing, clinical support, catering and administrative staff) about their attitudes to working during a pandemic.