WIREDGOV

The Scottish Government will be running an emergency exercise next week to make sure it is prepared for any pandemic flu outbreak that may occur.

'Cauld Craw' will be the government's main civil contingencies exercise for 2009 and is part of a programme of events to ensure Scotland is well prepared to deal with the consequences of any emergency.

The four week exercise, involving a range of agencies across the country, will test resilience and improve knowledge and understanding of how to handle the issues Scotland would face in the event of a pandemic.

Speaking ahead of Cauld Craw, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:

"Although there has been no change to the level of risk of a flu pandemic, an outbreak has been identified as one of the main risks Scotland could face.

"Scotland is not immune from the consequences of major incidents as highlighted by the Glasgow Airport attack and more recently the fuel disputes.

"It is vital that we continue to build on the expertise and knowledge we have already developed in dealing with these kinds of emergencies. Exercise Cauld Craw will test how ready we are and help us strengthen our plans for the future"

Exercise Cauld Craw will involve a number of responder agencies across Scotland including the emergency planning Strategic Co-ordinating Groups in Tayside, Dumfries and Galloway and Strathclyde. The NHS Boards of Ayrshire & Arran, Dumfries & Galloway, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Tayside, and the State Hospital will also participate, as will the Scottish Ambulance Service, NHS24, National Procurement, The Golden Jubilee Hospital and Health Protection Scotland.

The exercise will run over four weeks from April 27 and all participants will be conducting business as usual during this period.

A pandemic flu outbreak has been identified as one of the main risks Scotland could face along with terrorism, extreme weather and widespread utilities failure. These four risks form the priority issues which Scottish Resilience - the part of the Scottish Government which works with frontline organisations on emergency planning - is currently focussing on. The Scottish Government is currently working with the UK Government to develop a national pandemic flu communications strategy.

Related Information

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/public-safety/emergencies