Emergency planning in Southwark PCT

Last year’s July attacks highlighted the need for all health organisations to have good planning arrangements in place to ensure a level of protection that can be maintained in any emergency. To support this area of planning and to ensure joined up working with partners the Government introduced the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA).

Southwark PCT has a dedicated Emergency Management Team whose focus is to be responsible for Southwark PCT’s duties under the CCA and to oversee the development and coordination of emergency planning arrangements across the organisation.

Southwark Council is responsible for social services emergency planning. However, our close working relationship with social care means in practice that we are beginning to operationally plan a joint response.

This year has seen a major step up in our planning for potential emergencies. Outcomes of this include

• the PCT’s major incident plan has been updated and revised
• a heatwave plan has been introduced
• pandemic flu planning has progressed.

Actions
Areas where significant improvements have been made over the past year include:

• the PCT has completed an initial Business Impact Analysis (BIA) identifying critical services that will inform the development of the final Business Continuity Plan. It is likely that due to the unique partnership between the PCT and Social Services that one recommendation from the BIA will be for the council and the PCT to develop a joint plan. This will be completed in the year ahead and rolled out across the PCT
• the communication team has developed two new plans covering roles and responsibilities in both a generic major incident and in a more protracted scenario such as influenza pandemic. In the year ahead we plan to develop emergency planning teaching across the organisation
• Southwark PCT has taken part in a number of exercises this year designed to test and examine the PCT’s Major Incident Response. In the year ahead we plan to continue joint exercises and training. The PCT and Southwark Council will hold a joint exercise in December 2006.

 
Coping with a heatwave
In Northern France in August 2003, there were unprecedented high temperatures resulting in 15,000 extra deaths. The vast majority of these were among older people. Coupled with evidence of global changes in climate there is concern that heatwaves could become more common in England.

As a result we have introduced a heatwave plan that is ready to respond to increased demand. This allows us to target at risk groups including:

• the over 75s
• older people living on their own or in care homes
• patients suffering from mental illness, those with dementia
• patients receiving help with activities of daily living
• bed bound patients
• people taking certain kinds of medication
• babies and children under four.

This will allow us to cascade alerts throughout the organisation and across GP practices ensuring vulnerable patients are identified and all healthcare professionals are equipped with the most up-to-date advice and information for patients.

To find out more about Southwark PCT emergency planning
Go to www.southwarkpct.nhs.uk/emergencyplanning or contact David Griffiths on 020 7525 0277 david.griffiths@southwarkpct.nhs.uk

To find out more about Southwark Council emergency planning
Go to www.southwark.gov.uk/YourServices/CommunitySafety/emergencyplan or contact Emergency planning on 020 7525 7417 emergency.planning@southwark.gov.uk