Accreditation practice pointer: our practice has an emergency response plan

C3.3 A Our practice has an emergency response plan for unexpected events, such as natural disasters, pandemic diseases, or unplanned absences of clinical team members.

RACGP Standards for general practice

General practice must be prepared for unplanned events, especially when such events might trigger a greater need for primary health care. General practice needs to ensure they can continue to provide primary healthcare and run a business during such unexpected events. This can be achieved by developing and maintaining emergency response plan. 

Examples of these events are natural disasters (fire and floods) and pandemic diseases, all of which have impacted the Murrumbidgee general practices over the last decade. Other forms of emergency events include GPs and Practice Nurses taking unplanned leave or a patient having a cardiac arrest in the practice.   

Likewise, general practice must also have a recovery plan should the practice need to close due to an emergency. 

The Emergency Response Planning Tool is useful guide for practices needing to maintain an emergency response plan. Further information and subscription details are available through RACGP here: https://www.racgp.org.au/running-a-practice/practice-management/managing-emergencies-and-pandemics/emergency-response-planning-tool

RACGP also provides guides and resources on managing emergencies and pandemics in general practice: https://www.racgp.org.au/running-a-practice/practice-management/managing-emergencies-and-pandemics

General practice can also prepare for emergencies by:

• educating the practice team so that they understand the emergency response plan

• creating a position description for a team member responsible for maintaining the emergency response plan

• creating and testing mock emergency scenarios

• discussing and reviewing emergency processes at team meetings, particularly the practice’s evacuation process

• completing succession planning for key practice staff

• encouraging practice team members to share their skills and knowledge.