Business Continuity in the NHS

The importance of Business Continuity Management in the NHS has increased markedly in recent years.  This is a result of both the experience of real incidents (such as the 2007 floods and H1N1 pandemic) and the emergence of formal standards and guidance including:

• The Civil Contingencies Act (2004)and associated guidance;
• BS25999: British Standard for Business Continuity Management;
• NHS Resilience and Business Continuity Management Guidance 2008: interim strategic national guidance for NHS organisations; and
• PAS 2015: NHS Resilience - Guidance for NHS-Funded Organizations.  

Healthcare organisations are inherently complex, and implementing Business Continuity in the NHS involves some significant challenges.  Nonetheless, the same general principles can, and should be, applied as with any other organisation.     

Cambridge Risk Solutions' consultants have experience of working with, and providing training for, a range of NHS organisations including SHAs, PCTs, Acute Trusts and Mental Health Trusts (see our Case Studies section for some examples).  We are therefore ideally placed to assist NHS organisations with all aspects of Business Continuity planning, training and exercising.