As swine flu continues to dominate British headlines, public health teams are trying to educate the nation by rolling out their contigency strategies. But for some Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) the pressure is mounting, creating a need for emergency planning officers; a requirement which is likely to continue well beyond the summer.
Swine flue seems to have taken the world by surprise so it’s no wonder that a number of public health teams were under-resourced and under-skilled for handling a crisis like this. Many have however acted quickly to recruit the niche skills and experience held by emergency planning officers to ensure that the PCT’s strategy for managing a potential epidemic like swine flu is rolled out.
there is a shortage of ideal candidates on the market and with NHS experience a pre-requisite, the pool of talent becomes even smaller.
However with any niche skill, there is a shortage of ideal candidates on the market and with NHS experience a pre-requisite, the pool of talent becomes even smaller. “Emergency planning officers coming into public health teams need to have a wealth of knowledge about how the NHS works.” explains Alastair Lechler, NHS recruitment manager for Badenoch & Clark. “Their primary role is to ensure that the right people know the right information at the right time. In a complex environment like the NHS, there is little time for educating candidates on its structure.”
With many reports of an expected second wave of swine flu hitting Britain in the Autumn, the need for emergency planning skills is unlikely to go away. For those looking to move into this niche area, those with business continuity and contingency planning experience within the NHS will put you in good stead.
