Business Continuity and Emergency Planning

NHS organisations and providers must ensure that they have a Major Incident Plan and Business Continuity Plan that complies with the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and associated NHS Guidance. NHS England also expects all NHS funded organisations to have an Accountable Emergency Officer (AEO) with regard to Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR).

The Accountable Emergency Officer (AEO) for HUC is our Chief Finance & Corporate Services Officer, Moony Nijjar. The AEO has executive authority and responsibility for ensuring that the organisation complies with legal and policy requirements. They provide assurance to the Board that strategies, systems, training, policies and procedures are in place to ensure an appropriate response for their organisation in the event of an incident.

The Emergency Preparedness Team works alongside Heads of Service to ensure the co-ordination of Emergency Planning activity. Over the past year, the organisation has demonstrated significant compliance with NHS England’s EPRR core standards, with substantial progress noted by our commissioners. Multiple improvements have been made across emergency planning and business continuity processes, including the creation of dedicated contingency resources, training and exercising opportunities, and specific organisational emergency plans for different types of adverse events or scenarios.

HUC works closely with its partners to support local and regional Resilience Planning Groups and Local Health Resilience Partnerships. It also participates in national, regional, and local critical and business continuity exercises to ensure that its policies and procedures are robust and effective.

During 2025/26, HUC will continue reviewing its critical incident and business continuity management systems to ensure alignment with current best practice guidelines and legislation.