By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - The UK on Thursday announced plans to enhance the country’s pandemic preparedness with the largest national response exercise in its history, aimed at strengthening resilience against future health crises.
The exercise, set to take place this autumn, will involve thousands of participants across all regions and nations of the UK, testing the country’s emergency protocols, capabilities, and response systems, according to an official statement.
This unprecedented exercise is part of a broader effort to address the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government’s response comes after the release of the COVID-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report, which assessed the UK’s preparedness for the pandemic.
Ministers have vowed to ensure that the country is better equipped to handle future public health emergencies and that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.
Pat McFadden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, emphasized the importance of the exercise, sayinh: “We must learn lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic as we cannot afford to make the same mistakes again. But we will plan in a way that recognizes the next crisis may not be the same as the last.”
- Exercise to be 1st of its kind in nearly decade
The national pandemic exercise will be the first of its kind in nearly a decade, and it will be the largest of its kind ever undertaken in the UK.
The exercise will involve senior ministers, local resilience forums, government departments, and the devolved governments, and will focus on testing the UK’s response mechanisms in the event of another pandemic.
Besides, the government is also launching several initiatives to ensure better protection for vulnerable groups, who were disproportionately affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new Risk Vulnerability Tool, developed by the Cabinet Office and the Office for National Statistics, will help identify and map vulnerable groups across the UK.
This tool uses data such as age, disability, and caregiving status to pinpoint areas where these groups might be most at risk in future crises, enabling targeted support where needed.
The government has also committed to train over 4,000 emergency and resilience workers annually through the UK Resilience Academy, starting in April.
As part of the ongoing efforts to improve emergency preparedness, the government will also conduct a national test of the Emergency Alert System in 2025.
The system, which has been successfully deployed on several occasions since its launch in 2023, will undergo a full test to ensure its functionality across all 87 million mobile devices in the UK.
The statement said the government’s commitment to improving national resilience is also reflected in its long-term ambitions, including strengthening the National Health Service and building a system that can effectively handle future risks.
“We agree with the Inquiry that more needs to be done and are announcing measures to make sure that we are as prepared as possible for future pandemics,” McFadden said. “These changes will improve our resilience and preparedness and help to safeguard our citizens.”