The National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS) was launched in England on the 23rd of July, as a way of getting antivirals to people with influenza-like-illness (ILI) without them needing to go through their GP. This service has been associated with a number of behavioural changes in people with symptoms, as can be seen below.

How well did the National Pandemic Flu Service (NPFS) work?

The aim of the NPFS was to take the pressure off GPs and ensure that everyone could get antivirals in a timely manner. As the other countries in the UK did not offer such a service they act as a nice "control group". Flusurvey data suggest that the pressure on GPs did indeed ease following the introduction of the NPFS, with fewer people with ILI visiting GP surgeries after its launch. However a similar pattern was also observed in the other countries, suggesting that the fall was due to other factors, such as a growing awareness that swine flu was generally mild. Another key measure of performance is the delay between onset of illness and receipt of antivirals (as antivirals are most effective if taken early). Data that you have provided suggest that the average delay in England before NPFS was 1.8 days and 1.9 days after NPFS (not a significant difference). Perhaps if the NPFS had not come on stream then this delay would have increased because of further pressures on GPs. Looking at data from the other countries does not support this hypothesis. Here the average delay was only 1.4 days. 

Absenteeism Flusurvey results showed that there was a big change in the way people reacted to the swine flu outbreak. During June and July people with influenza-like-illness (ILI) were much more likely to visit or call their GP, or take antivirals for their illness. It also seemed that patterns of absenteeism changed. About 60% of people with ILI took time off work or school as a result of their infection. This fell a little, but not significantly, over time. However, those who did take time off took much less time off (right). For instance, since the beginning of August about a third of those with ILI took only 1 day off, and a further 40% took 2-3 days off. This was very different from the pattern observed at the beginning of the epidemic, when many more people took a week's absence or even longer.

Medication Most people with symptoms sensibly took time off work/school; not only did this aid their recovery, but it also reduced the chances of spreading infection to other people.