Preparing for Emergencies Guidance

Section 2 - Ensuring preparedness

This section highlights the aims and objectives underpinning emergency preparedness, and the activities required by Chief Executives to ensure that their Health Board complies with legally mandated duties.

Emergency Preparedness: aim, objectives, principles

Aim

2.1 The overall aim of emergency preparedness is to protect the public and ensure that Health Boards in Scotland are safe, resilient, and ready to respond when required.

Objectives

2.2 The underpinning objectives are to:

• ensure that Health Boards can respond effectively to major incidents in a way that delivers optimum care and treatment to those affected
• minimise the consequential disruption to healthcare services and bring about a speedy return to normal levels of functioning
• maintain appropriate capability to respond to various types of major incidents.
• work in partnership with other agencies and across organisational professional boundaries to deliver effective, integrated multi-agency response

Principles

2.3 Overarching principles for emergency preparedness and response are that Health Boards:

• prioritise and deploy resources efficiently and effectively
• are adaptable and can respond with speed and flexibility
• implement knowledge/evidence- based practice
• provide survivors, patients, and their families with the highest possible standards of healthcare by appropriately trained and supported staff
• provide mutual aid and/or support to others when necessary
• consult with Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates when necessary, receiving support and providing vital information

Requirements of the Chief Executive

2.4 As the Accountable Officer, the Chief Executive is responsible for ensuring the overall readiness of their organisation to manage major incidents and events, both planned (e.g. a major sporting event) and unplanned (e.g. a utilities failure) they should be able to demonstrate that:

• their organisation is fully compliant with its statutory duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and all subsequent regulations
• there is clear and effective leadership, delegation of responsibility and lines of accountability for preparing for, responding to, and recovering from major incidents
• an Executive Director of the Board has been designated to lead on Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity (this can be the Chief Executive)
• clear governance arrangements are in place throughout the organisation to oversee emergency preparedness and business continuity. These should include a Resilience Committee, chaired by someone no less senior than the Lead Executive Director, which will report to the Board on emergency preparedness, training, exercises, resourcing and any gaps in capability or capacity; reporting should be regular and at least annually.
• there are active and effective links between the organisation’s Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity plans and planning arrangements.
• there are suitably experienced and qualified Lead Officers for Emergency Preparedness and for Business Continuity. These officers are responsible for supporting the Executive Lead(s), advising the Resilience Committee, and facilitating delivery of the required capabilities and plans throughout the organisation.
• the Health Board has an up-to-date Major Incident Plan that has been endorsed by Board leadership. This plan should be based on the principles of risk asses sment, adopting an all-hazards approach which accounts for both the National Risk Register (NRR), Scottish Risk Assessment (SRA), and other specific local risks.
• planning should reflect Integrated Emergency Management and complement the organisation’s arrangements for business continuity. Other agencies must be made aware of any assumptions in relation to their services.
• adequate and proportionate resources have been allocated, in line with assessed need, to develop and maintain emergency preparedness and the resilience of the organisation. This includes staffing, equipment, training and exercising.