Emergency planning

Planning for continued health services in the event of an emergency

In accordance with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, NHS Cambridgeshire is a 'Category 1 responder'.

This means we have a legal duty to plan to respond to a range of emergencies or incidents, while ensuring we can continue to provide existing services during the emergency or incident.

The Standard 24 rule set out by independent regulator the Care Quality Commission also requires us to make effective emergency plans.

These plans are shared with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough emergency planning community and with other Category 1 responders. Each plan is reviewed regularly so that any new internal or external potential risks are taken into account, and any organisational or technological changes are incorporated into the revised plans.

We have taken part in several emergency planning exercises both at county and regional levels, including a response to a flooding event, and numerous pandemic flu exercises with other organisations in Cambridgeshire and the East of England.  The outcomes for review are then incorporated into our plans and training. We are active participants in a number of local and regional emergency planning forums thereby building stronger relationships with emergency services and the other Category 1 responders throughout the region.

Working with Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Resilience Forum

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places a responsibility upon leading public bodies to work together to provide a co-ordinated response to any emergency.  The Act requires a Local Resilience Forum to be set up within each police force boundary, therefore the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Local Resilience Forum was formed to bring together all responding agencies.

Contact us If you would like further information about our emergency plans, please email communications@cambridgeshire.nhs.uk