Emergency Planning
South Central Strategic Health Authority (SCSHA) is bound under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, to provide assurance to the Department of Health (DH) that it is fulfilling its duties as a Category 2 responder, for emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR).
The Emergency Planning Manager was appointed in June 2010 and a work programme was developed to address a number of key priorities for SCSHA. These include: updating the major incident plans and testing “fitness” through exercises, ensuring training and health services resilience is reflected in respect of specific challenges such as flooding, mass casualties and of course preparing for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In order for this to happen effectively, liaison with partner agencies including all the emergency services and the Local Resilience Fora, is essential to gain an integrated emergency management approach. Liaison with the lead PCT emergency planners for Thames Valley and Hampshire & the Isle of Wight and the EP team within South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), the SHA EP leads for England and the DH has been vital to our success.
EPRR is not only guided through legislation but through national guidance. At present the NHS Emergency Planning Guidance 2005 states that: “Healthcare organisations protect the public by having planned, prepared and where possible practiced responses to incidents and emergency situations which could affect the provision of normal services”. It highlights the role of the SHA as being:
- Performance management of NHS organisations i.e to ensure local plans are consistent with relevant legislation and guidance.
- To maintain strategic command and control of widespread major incidents that cannot be contained within the resources of the local health economy.
A major incident could affect South Central at any time with little or no warning.
SCSHA must therefore be able to assume strategic control and leadership of any incident as required.
The Major Incident Plan, Business Continuity Plan and action cards for SCSHA have been updated and subsequently tested in 2011.
The Business Continuity Plan is supported by a Business Impact Analysis for each portfolio highlighting any critical functions that may need to be part of our Board Assurance Framework and Corporate Risk Register. SCSHA completed a successful external audit in February 2011undertaken by Deloittes.
Links
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Local Resillience Forum
