All of the Trust's Major Incident plans are exercised by at least a tabletop style exercise annually and a live exercise every 3 years (minimum) as per the regulations of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
The Trust has an extensive training programme for all staff and corporate partners which involves everyone from the Chief Executive to operational staff in every role (clinical and non clinical)
The Trust has run a series of full scale live Major Incident exercises (see below) that test different aspects a mass casualty event.
March
2010 | Exercise
Dark Matter | Full scale live mass casualty exercise involving live actors playing the casualties and worried families. This tested the new build (therefore empty) A&E, Command & Control, Communications, decontamination of self-presenters, communications and media handling, Family & Friends Reception, radiology, transfusion (bloods), multi-agency partnership working and security.
Nearly 500 people and 20+ organisations (including emergency services, local authorities, other NHS partners & voluntary agencies) took part.
|
May
2012 | Exercise
Neutrino | A
full scale live A&E exercise without live actors playing casualties to test
the recording and tracking of patients and cooperative working with the police
casualty bureau teams. |
July
2014 | Exercise
Red Giant | A
full scale exercise without live actors playing casualties to test the flow of
Major Incident casualties and bed management strategies throughout the whole
Trust beyond the A&E. |
July
2015 | Exercise
Hadron | A
full scale live Strategic & Tactical Command & Control involving the
Executive, Control Room Support and Tactical Care Group and specialism Command
Teams and new elements like Medical and Surgical Coordination and activation of
the alternative Emergency Mortuary, Reunion Centre and partnership working. |
2
per annum | Exercise
Alert | Communication exercises
practising the tannoy alert and various call in systems. |
County, Regional and National Multi-Agency Exercises
The Trust also tests the plans and takes part in the training as part of the involvement in partner agencies training and exercises including those conducted by neighbouring NHS Trusts and care networks, NHS England Area Team and the Merseyside Local Resilience Forum partner agencies.
