Decontamination exercise at Vic’s A&E as health staff test action plan
Fife’s biggest hospital is to be the scene of a series of planned emergency events to test its readiness for any major incidents.
NHS Fife begins its simulations at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy on Friday (September 4) with more planned during the rest of the month.
The first event will see staff deployed to test specialist decontamination equipment outside the emergency department. This will be followed by a larger emergency planning exercise on Thursday, September 17, which will test its response to a simulated hazardous materials incident.
The activities form part of NHS Fife's statutory emergency planning responsibilities and provide an opportunity for staff and agencies to rehearse established procedures, test equipment and ensure robust arrangements are in place to respond effectively should such an incident ever occur.
Normal services at the Vic, including A & E, will continue to operate as usual throughout both exercises.
Claire Dobson, director of acute services, said: "Exercises such as these are an essential part of our emergency preparedness arrangements.
“While we hope never to need to respond to this type of incident, it is important that we regularly test our plans, equipment and procedures so our staff remain confident, competent and ready to respond effectively should the need arise.
"The familiarisation exercise on Friday will help ensure staff are fully acquainted with the assembly and testing of the specialist equipment we will be using ahead of the larger emergency planning exercise later in the month. Together, these activities will help strengthen our preparedness and ensure our emergency response arrangements remain robust.” She added: “We would like to reassure the public that these are planned exercises only. There is no risk to the public, no cause for concern and no expected impact on patient care or hospital services."