Power disruption
Updated June 2021
Power outages can have a major impact on care providers ability to operate effectively.
Issues to consider§
Care providers should consider the following questions as part of their business continuity plan. If you answer ‘no’ to several questions and feel that your services are therefore vulnerable, you should revise your business continuity plans and seek further guidance and support. You may, for example, wish to discuss options with your power supplier.
- Do you have provision to maintain the power supply in your facility in the event of an outage?
- Do you have a generator? Is this regularly tested with the normal electricity load
- Does all of your equipment to maintain medical treatment for residents (e.g. dialysis) have battery powered back up in the event on a power failure? Is there any equipment that is solely dependent on mains electricity?
- Do you have alternative plans for the use of equipment that is dependent on electricity in the event of a power outage? For example, how would you evacuate people if the lift did not work?
- Do you have mutual aid plans you could draw from in the event of a long-term power outage?
- Are you already on the Priority Service Register? This can provide you with priority support from your electricity distribution network operator in an emergency. Contact your electricity supplier to discuss.
- Do you have contingency plans for carers to access medical records if these are temporarily unavailable on computers or tablets?
Energy Emergencies Executive Committee§
The Energy Emergencies Executive Committee has produced guidance for essential service operators – including care providers, on steps they can take to plan for potential short-term power outages.
The purpose of this document is to provide organisations, particularly those that operate essential services in Great Britain, with guidance to support contingency, continuity and resilience planning for short-term power outages. Essential services are those that the public rely on a daily, or near daily, basis. Disruption to these services could impact the normal patterns of daily lives or the health and safety of the public. Essential services include those that provide health and social care.
This document does not address planning for longer term power outages that could last a few days, or planned power outages such as rota load disconnections.
Letter to Essential Service Operators – 29 October 2020 – Energy Emergencies Executive Committee
Covering letter from the Chair of the Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (via the National Grid) outlining the purpose of the guidance on Making you service more resilient to power outages.