Sharing information during major incidents and emergencies

In a large-scale emergency sharing information is critical. It can help ensure:

• fast and effective care for those in need
• vulnerable people are protected
• a coordinated response for example between different emergency services.

Examples of emergencies may include:

• public health emergencies
• fires
• flooding
• natural disasters such as earthquakes or landslides
• chemical incidents
• biological or nuclear incidents
• acts of terrorism

In an emergency, your health and care information may be shared to:

• provide you with care
• help first responders coordinate care and rescue efforts. This could be police, fire or ambulance crews, for example
• understand any specific needs you have, for example if you need help getting out of a building due to difficulty walking
• prevent the spread of illness and protect others from harm

Information may need to be shared with those who are involved in the emergency response. Information about you could be shared with:

• fire and rescue
• ambulance crews
• police
• coastguards
• local councils
• health and care organisations such as hospitals

Only the information that is needed for the emergency response will be shared. This may include:

• your name, age and contact details
• information about where you are, such as your home or work address
• contact details of your carer or your emergency contact

Health and care information, for example:

• about a disability to help you get out of a building
• about an allergy to a medicine where this is needed to treat you
• about an illness that emergency teams may need to be aware of

The way emergencies are managed depends on where you live. Some local areas have IT systems which they use to manage emergency responses. Information should always be kept secure. Only people with a clear need to see the information will be able to access it. This will usually be the people involved in dealing with the emergency response.

It is unlikely you will be asked before your information is shared in an emergency. This is so you receive care as fast as possible and to protect you from serious harm.

Organisations should be clear how your information is used and shared during emergencies. You will usually find this information in a privacy notice.

You can also ask the organisations providing you with care for a copy of the information which was shared in an emergency.