Public Health Wales Emergency Response Plan Dr Gwen

Public Health Wales Emergency Response Plan Dr Gwen Lowe CCDC Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Legal Obligations • Category One Responder under Civil Contingencies Act 2004 • Duty to: – Assess risk of emergency occurring – Maintain Response Plans – Maintain arrangements to warn and inform public Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Welsh Guidance • • Key roles and responsibilities of Public Health Wales - set out in Health Emergency Planning Adviser’s interim guidance. Cardiff: WAG; 2003 Duties on NHS organisations set out in- Welsh Assembly Government, NHS Wales Emergency Planning Guidance. Cardiff: WAG; 2010 Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Public Health Wales Response Levels • Response Levels 1 to 5 • Level one- managed within resources local HPT eg: unspecified rash cluster in school, small group (eg: child minder) needing chemoprophylaxis, small chemical incident, no-one affected • Level two- no national consequences-managed within resources of all Wales HPTs with Sp. R, communications, LHB, pharmacy support eg: two linked meningococcal cases in school, chemical incident mildly affected people Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Level 3 Level at which a national Public Health Wales response is required because of: • Size of incident • Serious public health consequences • Requires resources beyond that of the HPTs/sustained response • First response to serious novel situation/case • Substantial demands for a response externally or from media (These are called significant criteria) Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Strategic and Incident Directors • Strategic- Chief Executive responsibility but can delegate. Responsible for the strategic direction and effective management of the Public Health Wales response. • Incident- Usually Director of Public Health Services- Ensures health protection elements and others co-ordinate their response and oversees delivery of agreed response Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Public Health Wales Senior Response Team Roles • Assess incident and agree scale of response • Agree responsibilities • Co-ordinate and oversee the Public Health Wales response • Mobilise and direct Public Health Wales resources Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Examples of Level 3 • Some blue light major incidents with multiagency SCG (Strategic Co-ordinating Group) called • Case of serious novel illness requiring significant public health measures such as confirmed human case of H 5 N 1 • Large outbreak of E. coli O 157 • Significant flooding • Any incident with one or more significant criteria Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Level 4 • The Public Health Wales will declare a major incident at level 4. Examples include: • Two simultaneous Level three incidents in Wales • incidents requiring mass community prophylaxis • Avian Influenza with significant human transmission locally • National outbreak of E. coli O 157 with several hundred cases Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

National Co-ordination and Advisory Centre (NCAC) • This will be operational at level 4 • Provides a central support system for incident, will house Senior Response Team, Communications Team, be a focal point for central activity to support the local response Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Level 5 • Major emergency with overwhelming impact on Public Health Wales • Examples: Pandemic flu, Major CBRN incident (Chemical/ Biological/Radiation/Nuclear) Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

What does this mean for any staff member? • Action cards for specific groups: eg: • Speciality Registrars • Business manager of affected area • On call team if incident arises out of hours • General action cards for other staff • Some Public Health Wales activities must be maintained- detailed in plan eg: emergency health protection team activities- all others staff can be redeployed into battle roles Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Sample Action Card • Action Card 18: Central HP Log Support Officers • Role • To ensure that a log of all queries is maintained and circulated • Actions • Will be required to support the emergency response as necessary. In particular the following will be required: • Receiving queries and responses • Entering onto agreed database • Circulating log at regular intervals Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Summary • Five response levels • Level three or above requires a central organisational response and a Senior Response Team (SRT) to be convened • Key roles are the Strategic and Incident Directors • Action Cards for staff asked to assist Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe

Public Health Wales Emergency Response Plan Dr Gwen Lowe CCDC Public Health Wales Emergency Response – Dr. Gwen Lowe