A resilient NHS for London 2012

Andy Wapling, Head of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience Lead, London 2012 programme and Tom Mooney, NHS 2012 Health Resilience Project Manager, NHS London

Abstract
London will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. Hosting the Games brings with it both opportunities and challenges for the capital and country. The National Health Service (NHS) in London has a crucial role to play in the delivery of a safe and secure Games. It must also protect its business as usual services and be prepared to respond to any enhanced or additional threats and hazards that may be created by the presence of the Games. NHS London leads a programme of work to ensure that the NHS fulfils its responsibilities during the Games. The programme’s Health Resilience workstream has adopted a structured planning process to assess risks, identify gaps in the capability of the NHS, and ensure those gaps are addressed prior to the Games. It acknowledges that training, exercising and testing play vital roles in capability. This work aims to ensure that London’s health services will respond in a timely, proportionate and appropriate manner to any incident during the Games. This article gives an overview of the Olympic context within which this resilience work is taking place, and details the planning processes and relationships employed in planning for such a major event.

Keywords
London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, health resilience, business continuity, integrated emergency management

Andy Wapling is NHS London’s Head of Emergency Preparedness, and the Resilience Lead for NHS London’s 2012 programme. Andy manages a team which supports planning, response and performance management of preparedness and business continuity. Prior to joining NHS London, Andy worked for the Health Protection Agency for four years both in London and in Yorkshire and the Humber regions. He has been involved in the response to a number of incidents including the influenza A/H1N1v pandemic, Paddington Rail Disaster, 2005 London Bombings, 2007 Yorkshire flooding, Polonium 210 events and many local incidents.

Tom Mooney is the NHS 2012 Health Resilience Project Manager for NHS London and coordinates the work of the Health Resilience Delivery Team. He has previously worked on projects to deliver a health legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and in planning for pandemic influenza.

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