Largest ever national pandemic response exercise to strengthen against future threats

The country's preparation for future pandemics will be stepped up by the largest ever national response exercise due to be held in the Autumn.  

Ministers have also set out plans to better support vulnerable groups - such as the elderly or those receiving care - and train thousands of public servants  to handle a range of crises, including pandemics. 

These measures come in response to the Covid-19 Inquiry's Module 1 report, which examined the resilience and preparedness of the UK prior to the pandemic.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, The Rt Honourable Pat McFadden MP, said:

“We must learn lessons from the Covid pandemic as we cannot afford to make the same mistakes again. But we will plan in a way that recognises the next crisis may not be the same as the last.

“We agree with the Inquiry that more needs to be done and are announcing measures to make sure that we are as prepared as possible for future pandemics. 

“These changes will improve our resilience and preparedness and help to safeguard our citizens.” 

The national pandemic exercise is the first of its kind in nearly a decade and is set to be the biggest in UK history. It will test the country's capabilities, plans, protocols and procedures in the event of another major pandemic. 

It will be led by senior ministers, involve thousands of participants, and run across all regions and nations of the UK. All government departments, local resilience forums, and the devolved governments have been invited to participate, and the government is encouraging the most significant involvement ever at a local level. 

The exercise is due to take place on different days over several months in the Autumn. The government will communicate findings and lessons from this exercise as recommended by the Covid-19 Inquiry.

The government has also committed to providing more support for vulnerable groups, many of whom were disproportionately impacted during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

To support this, the Cabinet Office has created a Risk Vulnerability Tool with the Office for National Statistics. The tool creates a map of the UK for different risks that we face, and shows where there are vulnerable groups who might be disproportionately impacted. Vulnerable groups are identified by data including age, disability, or whether someone is receiving care.

It is a government tool, which can be instantly shared across departments and with devolved governments. It will improve the government's understanding of where disproportionately impacted groups are ahead of and during crises, and enable targeted local support where required.

A third measure the Government is taking is to train over 4,000 people in resilience and emergency roles every year through the UK Resilience Academy. The training, which begins in April, will help practitioners plan for and manage a range of crises, including pandemics. It will be based on revised National Occupational Standards to ensure that people have the knowledge and skills they need to support them in their roles. 

The Government will also carry out a national test of the Emergency Alert System later in 2025. While the system has been deployed successfully four times since launching in 2023, the national test will ensure the system is functioning correctly, should it need to be deployed in an emergency. Regular testing will ensure the UK remains in line with other countries that test similar systems on a regular basis.

The national test will provide valuable operational lessons for both central government and telecommunication partners, giving an opportunity to solve any issues prior to a potential emergency activation.

The exact date of the test will be announced in due course and will see every phone in the country - approximately 87 million devices - receive a test message similar to the previous test in April 2023. The test will be advertised widely in advance.

The Covid-19 Inquiry published its Module 1 report in July last year. The government agrees with what the Inquiry is seeking to achieve through its recommendations and the response published today sets out where progress has been made, and where further action will be taken. 

Delivering on our country's Missions, including building a National Health Service fit for the future, will help us prepare for the range of risks we face. These Missions also rely on a strong, foundational system of resilience that must be maintained and improved.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

Liverpool Pandemic Institute:

• Yesterday, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster visited the Liverpool Pandemic Institute to see their work on UK pandemic preparedness. More information about the Pandemic Institute here.

National Risk Register:

• The Government will also today publish an updated version of its National Risk Register to reflect changes in the most recent National Security Risk Assessment. 

• The National Risk Register is a version of the internal classified National Security Risk Assessment and was previously updated in 2023. 

• The updated version makes minor amendments to either the likelihood or impact score for a small number of risks, or updates the description of a small number of risks.

• The changes are minor and do not represent big changes to the country's risk landscape. 

• The National Risk Register will continue to be updated on a regular basis with a more substantial update expected following a further assessment of the risks in the National Security Risk Assessment. 

Emergency alerts:

• Since July 2024, the government has sent two emergency alerts to provide advice to members of the public in life-threatening situations, supporting the emergency services.

• During Storm Darragh, for example, the alert was sent to over three million people in affected regions, with local responders working hard to restore power to over 2.5 million properties and protect over 10,000 homes from flooding. Power supply restoration was far quicker than in previous storms as a direct result of learning lessons and investing in our preparedness.

National Resilience Review:

• In July, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster announced a review of national resilience. Work on this review is proceeding at pace and government will update the House upon its conclusion in the spring.