Healthcare emergency planning and management to major hazards in the UK

Abstract

This study aims to examine the challenges and opportunities UK healthcare emergency planners and responders have to cope with major hazards. The study followed a qualitative research methodology where data was collected from a comprehensive literature review, an international workshop and interviews. The findings established that the UK healthcare emergency planning process needs to: consider the integration of soft and hard resources in planning; involve independent experts for further support; and use IT systems innovatively to develop a comprehensive emergency model, predict vulnerabilities and optimise effectiveness and efficiency. The major recommendations are to: identify and evaluate risks more accurately; enhance opportunities and reduce risks associated with multiagency approaches; ensure that soft and hard resources are well integrated in planning; involve and integrate more with independent parties such as academia for extra support; and innovatively use IT systems to develop a comprehensive emergency model, predict vulnerabilities and optimise operability.Keywords: emergency planning; emergency management; UK; healthcare; major hazards; infrastructure; effectiveness and efficiency; multi-agency; integration; collaboration; process.Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Achour, N., Pascale, F., Soetanto, R. and Price, A.D. graduate studies in Kanazawa University with focus on hospital resilience to seismic activities. He was employed in his graduate University before joining Loughborough University (UK). He was a member of several international post-earthquake investigation teams and was heavily involved in the review of the WHO Hospital Safety Index. His interests include disaster prevention and management, physical and social resilience to natural hazards, emergency planning and interdisciplinary as well as international research groups.Federica Pascale has over five years of international research experience in healthcare facilities design, resilience and performance, including emergency healthcare infrastructures, special requirements for vulnerable population (e.g., aging population, dementia suffers) and mass casualty events. She developed a design methodology to improve the physical performance of healthcare accident and emergency departments (A&E). Her current research focuses on the impact of the built environment on people with dementia and currently she is in the process of developing the new Health Building Note 08-02: Dementia friendly environments. She has a substantial international consultancy experience, and has been invited as a Keynote Speaker for the Center for Health Design and for the Harvard Medical School.Robby Soetanto is Lecturer of Construction Management at Loughborough University, UK. His current research focuses on two key areas; disaster resilience and managing the integration of construction project team. His research has been funded by government bodies (EPSRC, EU, HEA, British Council) and private companies (Lloyds TSB and Hewlett Packard). As a ...

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