Emergency Services & Partners - Health Organisations

Incidents impacting upon the capacity or continuity of NHS Services
In the initial phase of any incident immediately affecting the NHS the Ambulance Service in whose area it occurs will co ordinate and control all NHS resources deployed to the scene - unless on health service premises. The Ambulance Incident Officer will ensure that the NHS response is co-ordinated and focussed, that adequate resources are deployed and that communication channels are established. Depending on the type and duration, the on-site health co-ordination role might pass to other health specialists as the incident develops.

Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) will mobilise primary and community-care resources to support acute hospital provision and to sustain those needing care at home, including accessing social care support. They must also take steps to monitor and safeguard the health of the local population for the duration of an incident and be capable of quickly disseminating health advice to the public if required. The HPA will provide support and contribute through its local health protection teams.

The Strategic Health Authority (SHA) will co-ordinate the overall response and all local aspects of NHS support for the incident within its boundary and be responsible for activating links across SHA boundaries and with Social Care agencies. Support and advice will be available from the Regional Directors of Public Health and the HPA's local and regional health protection teams.

Roles & Responsibilities
All hospital and ambulance services trusts are responsible for deploying the right healthcare resources to care for casualties either at the scene or at a hospital site. Each must be able to mobilise local resources flexibly and to the maximum extent consistent with maintaining essential care. Each trust must also plan to offer effective support to any neighbouring service that is substantially affected and in return should be able to rely on such mutual support if it is needed.

Primary Care Trusts (PCT's)
All Primary Care Trusts must be able to mobilise and direct healthcare resources to local hospitals at short notice to support them and to sustain patients in the community should these hospital services be reduced or compromised for a period. They must also plan to harness and effectively utilise primary care resources where needed to support - for example by setting up ad hoc emergency assessment facilities or emergency vaccination programmes. They must also have agreed systems in place to enable them to work as 'lead' PCT with others or - as appropriate - in support of the 'lead' PCT.

For more information about Primary Care Trusts click here: www.dh.gov.uk

Strategic Health Authority (SHA)
Each Strategic Health Authority must be able to guarantee strategic control of any incident that affects or seems likely to affect several hospitals or have a significant impact on primary care. Every SHA must ensure that the NHS within its area has unequivocal command and control structures, that escalation triggers and mechanisms are clearly described and understood, that escalation policies are clearly described, that capacity plans are available and that links within the NHS, with neighbouring SHAs, with RDsPH, the HPA and across into other sectors - including social care - are effective and durable. As part of this many SHAs will have 'lead' PCTs to work with.

For more information about Northumberland and Tyne and Wear NHS Strategic Health Authority click here:www.ntwha.nhs.uk

The Department of Health

The Department of Health will be responsible for national oversight and monitoring of all incidents that result in activation of a major incident plan. This does not mean it will necessarily always be involved in all of them - most will be handled at local or SHA level. It will whenever necessary - either when more than one SHA is substantially affected or when an incident has a 'national' characteristic - establish a national 'ops room' to support SHA management of incidents, to promote and encourage mutual aid and to act as focal point for links across Government.

Regional Public Health Groups
Regional Public Health Groups led by Regional Directors of Public Health will ensure a 24 hour capability to support both the SHAs and the rest of the Department of Health, and where necessary to co-ordinate public health resources in responding to public health emergencies. The RDsPH will provide the health link to Regional Resilience mechanisms and act as the regional nominated

co-ordinator in public health emergencies.

Health Protection Agency

Health Protection Agency will provide specialist health emergency advice to the Department of Health (DH), NHS and Regional Public Health Group. They will provide both advice and capacity to deal with communicable diseases and chemical incidents and will work with the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to create similar capability for nuclear and radiological incidents.

For more information: www.hpa.org.uk/emergency