The Business Continuity Plan (BCP) contains the procedures and arrangements to be followed in the event that the work of the NHS East Midlands encounters a serious disruption to standard operating conditions at Octavia House.
The BCP provides the framework for the NHS East Midlands to take actions to respond to an emergency and to ensure that our core business functions continue.
This plan is subdivided to allow for different strategies to be used by the Business Continuity team depending upon the scale and nature of disruption to the business and the expected timescale for a return to the standard operating procedures.
All staff are requested to read through the plan, understand their likely role / working position given the need to implement this plan and contribute to the annual review process of updating the BCP.
Business Continuity Management has as its principle objectives to:
-
Develop a clear understanding of how an organisation works
-
Protect the organisation from a disruption and ensure that a core response can be maintained
-
Protect the organisation’s reputation
-
Minimise any financial expenditure that could be incurred as a result of a disruption to business continuity
-
Ensure compliance and corporate governance
-
During any emergency situation, core services of the NHS East Midlands have to be maintained. In addition, all services should be restored as soon as possible.
The Business Continuity Plan identifies in the event of an emergency prohibiting the standard usage of Octavia House, which services are to be maintained, which are to be deferred in the short–term and those which should be re-introduced when conditions permit. The plan alsooutlines the responsible individual roles for ensuring communication to staff during such an event and the immediate roles in recovery of the situation.
Plan Limitations
The plan is not designed to;
-
Be fully prescriptive in the event of contingency activities being undertaken, as the situation may require localised and reactive actions
-
Take effect where relatively minor disruption is experienced and the considered option is that resolution is within a reasonable timescale for the nature of the incident
-
Be a long-term solution to significant disruptions to service, rather an immediate/ short-term measure to maintain the critical functions until such time as medium / long-term solutions are in place
-
To cover those occasions where significant notice is provided or disruption to the normal operation of NHS East Midlands. In this situation each Directorate should make preparations co-ordinated centrally
