1. Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte Health Service Executive
The Community, the HSE and Severe Weather
Peter Daly,
Chief Emergency Management Officer
HSE South

2. The Community, the HSE and Severe Weather

4. RISK ANALYSIS
PLANNING
MITIGATION
RESPONSE
RECOVERY

5. There has to be a measure of personal responsibility**
Weather emergencies are a fact of life and they should not come as a complete surprise!
There has to be a measure of personal responsibility**
RISK ANALYSIS

6. “But Papi always takes me skiing!!”
In Ireland we are not set up for snow .
“But Papi always takes me skiing!!”

8. Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte Health Service Executive
Four HSE Regions
Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte
Health Service Executive
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Severe Weather is LOCAL not matter how widespread the bad weather.
The response may not be just local but it has to have a significant local input.

9. Major Emergency??
Severe Weather causes significant issues for the HSE in most of what it does.
Impacts on Business Continuity

10. What can’t stop? Trauma [ the 999 system] Maternity Dialysis
A lot more besides……
24/7 Activity must continue
Palliative/Hospice care
Care of sick people in the community, including young chronically ill.
Care of elderly
Transplant

11. Types of Severe Weather Event
Experience shows that Ireland is threatened by different types of severe weather including:
• Flooding
• Frost/Ice
• Heavy Snow
• Severe Winds
• Thunderstorms
Heatwaves have affected other countries in Europe in recent years and, with ongoing climate change, cannot be entirely discounted from the MEM Risk Assessment and Preparedness processes in Ireland. However, they are not covered in the body of this document.

12. The Eyjafjallajokull volcanic eruption

13. Dialysis
08 Mar 2012

14. Duration of the bad weather
“Three week” Christmas
From the Weekend before Christmas until the schools open in January
Some things can be put off for week but not five weeks
10%
Many patients in the community must get a visit every seven days

15. Prioritisation of scarce recourses Transport for: Form of Triage
999 Calls
Essential Staff Acute Hospitals
Essential Staff Community Hospitals
Essential Staff Nursing Homes
Dialysis Patients
Specialist Palliative Care
GP out-of-hours service
Meals-on-wheels
Public Health Nurses
Mental Health Services
Home Support Services
Blood tests
Form of Triage

16. Transport Difficulties
Have we the right transport for this type of weather?

17. Transport Difficulties
Have we the right transport for this type of weather?
The HSE considered various traction systems and each system considered would require significant expenditure on both equipment and training. The HSE bought Estate Vehicles with All Wheel Drive capacity to replace some existing vehicles. This provides 4x4 type capability in a vehicle that will be operated daily. The cost of the vehicles are similar to traditional 2 wheel drive Estate cars representing improvements in road safety in severe weather and off road conditions without any additional expenditure over and above normal fleet replacement.
As part of the NAS drive to improve road safety, the NAS has also taken delivery of three new purpose built Driver training Vehicles to support the national rollout of Driver training, initially for 180 new Student Paramedics.

18. ‘We should have a list of the vulnerable’ us a list
Identification of Vulnerable
Those recently discharged from Hospital
Those requiring urgent home based treatment
Those with mobility problems
Those living alone
Those in remote/hard to reach areas
Those requiring on-going medication, oxygen etc.,
Those who any disruption to their care plan
would cause undue hardship
‘We should have a list of the vulnerable’ us a list
Lists are dangerous!
Especially to those who are NOT on the list!
People who are normally not vulnerable can very quickly become very vulnerable indeed

19. Cumulative Effects Increase in Fractures
Delayed presentation of fractures
Reduced Staff
Shortage of blood
Interruption of essential supplies
food
laundry
pharmacy
Fuel
WATER

20. Self –help! (“Help Yourself and Your Family”, ”Help your Neighbour”)
Establish the real and most urgent needs of the community
• Set priorities for the response and be prepared to defend these to the public and the media
• Organise and maintain a protracted 24/7 response
• Encourage and assist individuals and communities to respond themselves
(“Help Yourself and Your Family”,
”Help your Neighbour”)

21. Stress of 24/7 versus 9 -5 VAT is not the only thing that is 21%!
Every agency has this problem
VAT is not the only thing that is 21%!
And that does not include holidays – remember the ‘three- week’ Christmas
Can be impossible to contact key staff out-of-hours – only advantage was that with the frost and snow they were at home.
Unrealistic expectations on both sides

22. Self –help!

23. Highlight of the bad weather ?
Individual acts of kindness and goodness.
They way neighbours supported each other and looked out for those who were badly affected.
The way in which HSE staff members of all parts of the HSE, who made what can only be described as heroic efforts to do their jobs.

24. Highlight
of the bad weather ?