Clinical Action Cards for Healthcare Professionals

When the Health Protection Agency was launched we wanted to make sure that we listened to the comments of healthcare professionals on a range of issues. Many of them felt that, since the attacks of 11 September 2001, they wanted to know more about the hazards that international terrorism might introduce, including those caused by chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. There are also emerging diseases that could affect the UK, such as SARS, avian influenza and West Nile Fever.

These clinical action cards have been designed by the Emergency Response Division of the Health Protection Agency, in response to feedback and in consultation with GPs across the country. They have been funded and sponsored by the Department of Health and are intended to raise awareness of symptoms that might be caused both by new diseases and a possible CBRN event.

It is important for frontline healthcare professionals to be able to recognise any of the symptoms illustrated on these cards as early as possible, and also inform their local Health Protection Team, which they presently do when reporting notifiable diseases, such as meningitis.

The cards have also been endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners and welcomed as a useful resource by the British Medical Association.

Download a printable version of the clinical action cards
Deliberate release clinical action cards (PDF, 406 KB)