What is a Business Continuity Incident?

There are two phases to an incident. 

 

  1. The BC Phase - This is the time a disrupted event happens, to the time it takes for business continuity plans to be implemented effectively. 
  2. This is followed by the Recovery Phase - This is the time it takes for the organisation to return to normalcy.

 

 

What does Business Continuity look like at EEAST?

 EEAST, as a Category 1 responder, has a duty under law to have Business Continuity Plans in place. This is to ensure that, during any disruptive event, we are still able to provide treatment and care to our patients.

 What does that mean?

 EEAST has five critical functions that we must protect. This is to ensure our AOC’s can still receive calls and dispatch ambulances and our operational teams can continue to treat patients and transport them to definitive places of care. 

The EEAST 5 was developed to ensure focus on these areas during unexpected incidents and events.

  •    Call handling
  •    Clinical Triage
  •    Dispatch
  •    Treatment
  •    Transport

 

Who is responsible for Business Continuity at EEAST?

QUIZ:

  •    Executive Team?
  •    Managers?
  •    Business Continuity Manager?
  •    Resilience Team?
  •    Trust Board?
  •    Staff?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you would not be wrong but …………

Business Continuity is the responsibility of EVERYONE!

 What can you do to assist EEAST in achieving good Business Continuity?

 Be aware...

  •    of your own work environment. Do you know where to turn the water off? Do you know where the override is for the bay doors?
  •    of the wider organisation. Do you know what happens if a business continuity incident occurs and what plans are in place to manage such situations? Such as large-scale reduction in staffing levels, denial of access to buildings.

 Know what to do

  •    Do you know what you need to do if you identify an issue which could become a business continuity problem such as broken door entry system or faulty electrical items?

 Know what the plans say

  •    Do you know where your local plans are kept. How often do you review or read them to refresh your understanding?

Know who to tell

  •    Do you know who to tell if a business continuity incident occurs?

 

If you are interested in learning more about Business Continuity, please email EEAST.BC@eastamb.nhs.uk and we will add you to our distribution list for further articles and training items.

Workshops and training packages are being developed and we will let you know when these are available.

Published 17th May 2021