Emergency preparedness, resilience and response
The trust continues to deliver safe, quality and responsive patient care in the current challenging climate.
In addition to meeting day to day pressures, the trust must be prepared to provide a responsive approach to unexpected emergency situations, which although unlikely, may nevertheless occur. These could include infectious disease outbreaks, major transport accidents, mass casualty incidents, planned industrial action, terrorist activity, chemical and biological incidents, and environmental challenges such as flooding. The trust applies a risk assessment process to underpin planning, maintains plans to ensure continued delivery of care (business continuity plans) and shares information with other responders to enhance coordination. This work is referred to as emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR).
All of these events described will give rise to health problems and will require the trust to provide appropriate care for affected patients whilst also continuing to deliver high quality care for existing patients. For the best response this will require effective partnership working. The trust continues to plan, train and exercise with other organisations including Cleveland Police, Cleveland Fire Brigade, North East Ambulance Service, NHS England, Public Health England and other health and social care partners.
Key roles in EPRR
Levi Buckley, Chief Operating Officer is the Executive and operational lead for EPRR.
Stewart Ellison is the Emergency Planning Officer
Live ward evacuation exercises
We have carried out a number of live evacuation exercises at both University of North Tees and University of Hartlepool Hospitals in partnership with Cleveland Fire Brigade.
CBRN training in A&E
There is a monthly training session for A&E staff in (CBRN) chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear awareness and decontamination techniques. As well as practicals and presentations each session finishes with the erection of the decontamination tent.
