Reactie #143 Gepost op: 25 april 2016, 15:24:27
04th Apr 2016
As the provider of a major trauma centre for north-west London, we treat people with multiple and critical injuries. This means we need to be ready to deal with a major incident whenever it happens – whether it’s a bomb blast or bus crash. In these circumstances, and when we’re under intense pressure, it’s vital there are plans in place to ensure we can carry on providing safe, high-quality care to all our patients. Here emergency planner, Niina Bell, explains why our emergency response is all about preparedness.
Emergency planning is about being equipped and ready so when things go wrong everybody knows what to do – not only when there’s a major incident like a train crash or terrorist event, but also if there’s a fire at one of our hospitals or a serious power cut. We have plans for each of our hospital sites which set out exactly what staff and the organisation as a whole will do in an emergency situation. Every member of staff is made familiar with these plans when they join the Trust and certain job roles have a dedicated action card outlining step-by-step what individuals need to do in an emergency.
We constantly review these plans to ensure they are robust and up to date and test them annually. Every three years we take part in a simulated ‘live’ incident where we stress-test our plans at the most practical level. These ‘live’ events are like large-scale role-play exercises based on realistic scenarios where different staff from across the Trust, alongside agencies like the police and London Ambulance Service, respond and play their role as they would in a real incident.
In March this year we took part in ‘Exercise Unified Response’.
https://www.imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/blog/ready-for-a-major-incident