InformationPandemic preparedness

If and when there is another pandemic, being prepared nationally and locally is the best way to ensure we take the right response. Preparing for another pandemic requires collaboration and learning from the Covid-19 pandemic.

East Devon District Council is in a much stronger position of preparedness. We have tried and tested ways of working with staff from the County Council and other districts. We established a network of local voluntary and third sector groups. We created better links with NHS and other agencies, and are continuing these links through One Devon’s Integrated Care System.

One of the immediate and ongoing actions we can take, is to combat mis-information, for instance around vaccinations. We help to distribute reliable, safe health messages from trusted sources.

We are partners in the Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Local Resilience Forum; who assess local risk to our communities and manage our Community Risk Register.

Although emergencies are rare, our Community Risk Register exists to inform future emergency-preparedness work across the area. The risk of pandemic is currently scored as having both higher likelihood and higher impact risks than the other identified risks.

Good data will play a key part in informing the UK’s response to the threat of another pandemic. This page outlines recent work by the UK’s Office for National Statistics and international colleagues on developing the Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit.