Emergency services, local councils, and government representatives are set to participate in a comprehensive multi-day pandemic preparedness drill later this year. The exercise, expected to take place in autumn, will involve thousands of individuals across the UK. This initiative, announced by Minister Pat McFadden, aims to strengthen the nation’s readiness for potential future health crises.
The exercise responds to recommendations from the Covid-19 Inquiry, which highlighted significant shortcomings in the UK’s handling of the pandemic. Baroness Hallett, chair of the inquiry, described the UK as “ill-prepared” for Covid-19 and criticised its failure to protect citizens. The upcoming drill will be the first large-scale pandemic readiness test in nearly a decade, designed to assess plans, processes, and capabilities in dealing with emerging threats. Findings from the exercise will be made public, aligning with the inquiry’s call for transparency.
Other resilience measures include a nationwide test of the emergency alert system, which has already been used four times since its 2023 launch, and the creation of a "vulnerability map" to identify at-risk populations. The government also plans to train 4,000 individuals annually through a new UK Resilience Academy, set to open in April.
Minister, Mr McFadden, stressed the importance of learning from past mistakes, acknowledging that future crises may differ from the last. Strengthening the nation’s resilience, he noted, requires addressing systemic weaknesses, such as public service capacity and health inequalities, as highlighted in the inquiry’s report.
