Pandemic influenza preparedness programme: Statistical Legacy Group - a report for the Chief Medical Officer

The H1N1 pandemic of 2009 provided experience of collecting, interpreting and presenting data during a time of widespread public health emergency.  In light of the response to this pandemic, the Chief Medical Officer established a Statistical Legacy Group to produce a report with recommendations for improvements to the system for collection, analysis and public presentation of data in a future influenza pandemic. The Chief Medical Officer’s Statistical Legacy Group report documents some of the lessons from the H1N1 (2009) experience, focusing on evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the data collected, identifying best practices in the use of those data to inform the response and in the communication of surveillance information to the public and external interested parties.