Exercise tests preparedness for Ebola in Northern Ireland

The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) held a comprehensive exercise today to enable a review of Ebola preparedness in Northern Ireland.

Senior health professionals from the DHSSPS, PHA, Health and Social Care Board, the five health trusts and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service participated in the exercise. 

Dr Lorraine Doherty, Assistant Director of Public Health (Health Protection) at the PHA, said: “Although the risk to the public in Northern Ireland is very low, this exercise enabled us to review our preparedness and response arrangements should there be an Ebola case in Northern Ireland.

“From today’s event we can be reassured that we have robust and practical plans in place to deal with Ebola in the unlikely event that someone presents here with the illness. We will also evaluate what went well and what we need to improve upon. This exercise is just one small part of our ongoing contingency planning for Ebola.”

The exercise tested risk assessment procedures and the subsequent patient management and transportation arrangements for a suspected Ebola case in Northern Ireland. 

Dr Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer, DHSSPS, said: “The current outbreak of Ebola in west Africa is one of the most challenging public health threats we have had to face in recent times at a global level. However, the direct risk of Ebola to Northern Ireland remains low. The Minister and the Department are assured of the work that the Public Health Agency, the health trusts and others have been doing to strengthen and test our preparedness. The health and social care sector in Northern Ireland have been planning their response to an imported case of Ebola into Northern Ireland for some time. I am satisfied that today’s exercise has rigorously tested our systems and will provide useful learning so we can improve our response further.”