Summer Planning Toolkit modules
Module 1: Natural disasters and emergencies
Preparation for extreme weather events during summer helps protect practice staff and the community. Practices that have developed and tested policies and processes to manage adverse weather events are able to maintain continuity of care for their patients and ensure the smooth running of their business.
The RACGP’s Managing emergencies in general practice assists practices in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies, including natural disasters. It provides guidance on developing, practicing, reviewing and then activating emergency response plans tailored to your practice’s unique circumstances. It is also a resource for mental healthcare planning through emergency situations.
The RACGP’s Providing care and support during disasters webpage is regularly updated during disasters with resources to support affected patients and communities, state-based information (ie how to access financial assistance) and information to support practice operations.
When developing an emergency preparedness plan, general practices should ensure any medicines they have on-site are not vulnerable to temperature changes and should monitor and manage vaccine fridges in the event of a power cut.
This toolkit uses both terms ‘natural disaster’ and ‘emergency’. The term ‘natural disaster’ will refer to natural disasters only; the term ‘emergency’ is a more general term that refers to all emergency situations including natural disasters, pandemics and terrorist events.
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