How to use this resource

Ultimately, your practice’s emergency response plan should be developed and presented in a way that suits you and your team.

An example of how you can develop and maintain a simple but effective plan is as follows:

1. Open a Word (or similar) document and title it ‘[Insert practice name]’s emergency response plan’.
2. Work through each section of this resource, adding to your document as you go. The ‘Take action’ information boxes we provide throughout the resource will guide the development of your emergency response plan. Remember to keep your plan succinct. 
3. Once you have developed your plan, save a copy of it to a dedicated emergency response folder on your practice computer. Ensure that:
   • you make note of the date your plan was last updated somewhere within the document and as part of the document’s title, and
   • the whole practice team is aware of where the document is stored and how to access it.
4. Email a copy of your plan to every team member. Include a note explaining that if/when your emergency plan is updated, they will receive the new version.
5. Print one or two (or more, depending on the size of your practice) copies of your emergency response plan. You may wish to laminate these copies, if feasible.
6. Keep one of these copies in a safe, accessible off-site location of your choice.
7. Keep another hard copy in your emergency kit, which is discussed in more detail under ‘Emergency kit, equipment and supplies’.
8. Ensure all team members know where both hard copies are stored, as well as where and how they can be accessed.

Throughout the year, you will be testing your plan and looking for ways to improve it. Each time you make changes or updates to your plan, repeat steps 3-8.

As you work through this resource, you will likely gather a range of documentation and guidance materials from various sources. While some of this information will be transferred straight into your emergency response plan, you will likely be left with extra information that is relevant and helpful to have on-hand but doesn’t need to be included in your emergency response plan.

Create a record of important documentation relevant to your emergency response plan. Doing so will help keep your emergency response plan succinct and supporting documents easy to find and manage.

Other uses of your record include keeping track of where to find original copies of certain documents and where to find soft and printed copies of your emergency response plan.