Live webchat with Health Secretary Andy Burnham today (Weds 22 July) 2.30-3.30pm

[HelenMumsnet]

We're delighted to announce that Andy Burnham, Secretary of State for Health, will be joining us on Mumsnet tomorrow (Wednesday 22 July) between 2.30pm and 3.30pm for a live webchat, during which he's promised to answer your questions about swine flu (and anything else you'd like to know).

Andy has been Health Secretary since June this year. He is also MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester, was born in Liverpool, has three children, supports Everton and, apparently, plays a mean riff on the guitar.

Because of the last-minute scheduling of this webchat, we're NOT taking advance questions, so stand by your keyboards at 2.30pm tomorrow (or get someone else to ask your question if you can't be there)!

[VulpusinaWilfsuit]

Does he have to get approval from the spin doctors first?

[kathyis6incheshigh]

....and don't do a David Cameron and just go on about which bands you like, ok?

[thegrammerpolice]

Andy, I would also urge you to try and persuade the media to report SF in a more responsible, less scaremongering way to limit the pandemic pandemonium that's going on.

[kathyis6incheshigh]

His people are Googling for him right now.
(Trouble is we have already Googled.... and not found answers to what we want to know.)

[VulpusinaWilfsuit]

And deffo don't pat us on the heads about our excessive worry and panic. Some of us are Very Well Informed.

[CMOTdibbler]

When Alan Johnston came to visit us, he promised that there would be a review of miscarriage and pregnancy loss services, having heard the heartbreaking stories here of how women were mistreated by the NHS (I'm sure Carrie and Justine will be glad to link you to the Miscarriage code of practice threads).

I know you are a bit busy at the moment but could you let us know the status of this ?

[lou031205]

Perhaps Carrie & Justine are talking him down from a state of panic

[thegrammerpolice]

That was something of an excuse to get the phrase pandemic pandemonium into a post

[studentmummy]

Hello and welcome Mr Burnham - Can you tell me why ?under threes? do not make it onto Professor Salisbury?s priority list for the vaccination program in the autumn. I completely fail to comprehend the reason for this given that ?under-fives? are the highest risk group in terms of being the most affected category, possessing highest proportional number of hospitalisations and highest projected mortality rates? According to Salisbury?s priority list, ?under threes? come at the very end of the queue together with the rest of the population instead of amongst other children (three and over) who are somewhat near the top of the list. Is there an explanation for this? If so it might need disseminating to the parental population to help us make informed choices.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

And another from me
At the moment (spurred on by alittlebitfat) - what is our critical care capacity at the moment? (we are warned by the press each winter that it is tested to capacity)

[AndyBurnham]

Lets start with pregnancy. It goes without saying that people should take extra precautions because of the extra risk of complication and infections. The best thing that people can do is read the Chief Medical Officer's advice. I would want to say to people that I don't want to give advice, its not the job of a politican to do that. We are adopting a policy of being as open as we can about information and facts and figures. Experts tell me that there is no evidence that this strain can cross the placenta. While we don't collect precise figures on cases amongst pregnancy women, we do know that many pregnant woman have had the virus and are now fine.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

'And deffo don't pat us on the heads about our excessive worry and panic. Some of us are Very Well Informed. ' from Vulpus.

I fully agree. 'There, there' messages are actually what tend to get people more worried. Hard, practical facts and how we can help individually is what is needed.

[VulpusinaWilfsuit]

School closures, autumn: under what circs?

On whose evidence/advice please?

With what consequences? And mitigation/protection for working parents?

[kathyis6incheshigh]

"While we don't collect precise figures on cases amongst pregnancy women"

Why ever not? You really should - how else can we make rational decisions about how big the risk is?

[AndyBurnham]

With regard to breast feeding and Swine Flu, the department's advice is that women who are breastfeeding should continue while receiving antibiotic treatment. If a mother is ill she should continue breastfeeding and increase feeding frequency. If she becomes too ill to feed then expressing milk may still be possible. In short, carry on but it is important to keep fluid intake up.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

Andy

Can I call you that?

I do have some serious questions but first I have to tell you you are the hottest health minister we have ever had.

Now, serious stuff.

Mental Health Services could do with more money.

Social services could do with more people like me who have been through the care system but have been rejected for voluntary work as I don't have a degree.

IMO.

Thank you.

[VulpusinaWilfsuit]

Anti-biotic?!!

Anti-viral surely?

God help us all...

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

So it is the Chief Medical officer we should be taking advice from then? We really need a strong leader type figure to get us through this smoothly, not a myriad of different agencies each with their own agenda.

[alittlebitfat]

Mr Burnham....critical care beds? We simply wont have enough this winter ( we dont during a normal winter) what are your plans?

[kathyis6incheshigh]

You know, I suspect if you did collect figures on cases among pregnant women, most people would be very reassured by them. That could go a lot further towards stopping people panicking than just saying vaguely 'Most pregnant women are fine'.

[CathKidston]

Hi Andy (can I call you Andy?)

I am trying to plan the rest of my family and wondering if I should actively be avoiding getting pregnant? And if so, for how long?

Do we know how long this pandemic is likely to last?

I know you're not qualified to give medical advice but I would be interested to hear your views.

[blondieminx]

Mr Burnham, can you confirm that your staff will provide FULL answers to all the questions being asked on this forum, to be published on Mumsnet by next Wednesday?

People want proper information, not platitudes like " I would want to say to people that I don't want to give advice, its not the job of a politican to do that."

Thank you.

[HyacinthsDaughterinlaw]

Agree with Vulpis - Thought this was viral hence the issue. More rubbish!

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Repeating alittlebitfat's question because it is such a fundemental issue.

'Mr Burnham....critical care beds? We simply wont have enough this winter ( we dont during a normal winter) what are your plans? '