Emergency department staff at two Essex hospitals take on high-risk incident tests

Staff at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust conducted exercises to prepare for high-risk events

Southend Hospital teams preparing for a safety drill
Author: Harrison CablePublished 5th Oct 2025

Emergency Department staff at Southend and Basildon Hospitals have been taking on high-risk incident exercises to prepare for a proper response if an event occurs.

Staff at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and it's Emergency Preparedness, Resilience, and Response Team, ran a full-scale chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear training exercise.

Southend Hospital teams ahead of a drill

A similar exercise is set to take place at Broomfield Hospital next month.

The simulation is designed to test the team's ability to respond to rare, high-risk incidents. Using realistic scenarios, emergency teams use hazmat suits to run through decontamination procedures.

Team at Basildon Hospital before a drill

Every hospital trust must make sure they practice in case of such incidents, so they can respond properly if such an event occurs.

Team at Basildon Hospital before a drill

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