Government to lead emergency pandemic drills in UK in autumn
Emergency services teams, local councils and government officials will take part in a full, multi-day pandemic preparedness exercise to help prepare the UK for potential future threats.
Minister Pat McFadden has announced that the trial, which is likely to take place in the autumn, will involve thousands of people from different parts of the UK.
The plans come in response to the first set of recommendations made by the Covid-19 inquiry – the ongoing public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.
The chair of the inquiry, Baroness Hallett, found that the UK was “poorly prepared” for the coronavirus pandemic, and was “failing” its citizens.
The government says the National Pandemic Response Exercise will be the first of its kind in nearly a decade, designed to test capabilities, plans and procedures in the face of new threats.
The findings and lessons will be made public, as requested by Baroness Hallett, who made a series of recommendations 217 page report Published in July 2023.
Another measure will be a full trial later this year of the emergency alert system – which sounds alarms via mobile phones.
The alert has been used four times since its launch in 2023, including in areas hardest hit by recent storms.
The government has also committed to training 4,000 people a year to better prepare for crises such as pandemics through the UK Resilience Academy, which is planned to open in April.
The COVID-19 investigation report found that the pandemic had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups.
Mr McFadden says a new national “vulnerability map” will be created using data on age, disability, ethnicity and whether someone is receiving care to highlight populations who may be vulnerable in a crisis.
It is designed to help people get more targeted local support.
Mr McFadden said: “We must learn the lessons of the Covid pandemic because we cannot make the same mistakes again.
“But we will plan so that the next crisis is not like the last.”
He said pandemic planning and resilience is also about ensuring that the underlying fundamentals of our country are strong.
Baroness Hallett’s first report called for massive changes to the systems involved in preparing the country for civil emergencies.
It also revealed that Britain lacks resilience, has high rates of ill health and public services are running very close to, if not beyond, capacity.
