Civil Contingencies Secretariat tells UK public sector to prepare for national exercise of pandemic preparedness plans

The Civil Contingencies Secretariat has written to public sector planners giving them an update on planning for a future influenza pandemic.

The letter highlights that pandemic influenza remains one of the highest risks at national and at local level and reiterates that ‘prudent planning should be a high priority’.

The letter provides more information about a national exercise of pandemic preparedness plans which will take place on 19th and 20th February 2007. This will be led by the Department of Health and will test plans and arrangements at national, regional and local resilience levels.

In preparation for the exercise the Civil Contingencies Secretariat recommends that ‘plans and arrangements are in place, as far as possible, at regional and local level in time for the national exercise. As a guide, this would suggest that plans are prepared or updated by the end of November and that training and local table top exercises are carried out in December/January.’

The letter explains that: “As outlined in the Cabinet Office guidance ‘Contingency planning for a possible influenza pandemic’ (first issued in February 2006, and updated in July 2006), the main areas of local planning are:
a. Business continuity planning by each organisation to sustain essential services during a pandemic.
b. Co-ordinated multi-agency planning to support central Government in communicating public messages on hygiene measures to reduce risk of infection and its spread.
c. Co-ordinated multi-agency planning to consider how to implement, where appropriate, possible social measures which the Government may recommend on an advisory basis to reduce the risk to individuals of infection.
d. Co-ordinated multi-agency planning in Local Resilience Forums to prepare for the wider impacts of a pandemic in their areas.
e. Co-ordinated multi-agency planning with the health service consistent with any guidance from the Department of Health and devolved equivalents.
f. Co-ordinated multi-agency planning for handling excess deaths.”

Read the letter (PDF)

•Date: 15th August 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Pandemic planning UK
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