Introduction
Lockdown is the process of controlling the movement and access – both entry and exit – of people (NHS staff; patients and visitors) within a trust site or other specific trust building / area in response to an identified risk, threat or hazard that might impact upon the security of patients; staff and Trust assets or, indeed, the capacity of that facility to continue to operate. A lockdown may be called in response to several kinds of security breaches, including:
- Altercation in Accident and Emergency (ED),
- A suspected infant abduction,
- Intense media attention or crowd control,
- Hazardous spillage
- An attack ie bomb alert, use of vehicle as a weapon, etc
- High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) ie EBOLA
- Flooding
- Fire
NB: This list is not exhaustive
The immediate actions taken by staff could significantly reduce harm. Pre-planned actions (focusing on immediate assessment of risk, notification & locking down), will help to make sure patients, staff and visitors are protected as far as is reasonably practicable.
Aim
This plan describes the key reasons why the Trust would initiate lockdown procedures, how to lock down and key staff (involved in lockdown) roles & responsibilities.
Policy Details
| Download: | N/A |
| Compiled by: | Head of Emergency Planning & Resilience Assistant & Director of Estates & Facilities Head of Security |
| Ratified by: | TEC |
| Date Ratified: | July 2026 |
| Date Issued: | July 2026 |
| Review Date: | July 2027 |
| Target Audience: | All staff |
| Contact name: | Head of Emergency Planning, Security Leads |
See also:
- Major Incident Operational Plan
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) Plan
- Evacuation Plan
- Business Continuity and Critical Incident Response Plan
- Security Policy
- Fire Safety Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Violence and Aggression Policy
- Infectious Disease Outbreak Policy
- VIP Attendance or Admission Plan
- Missing Patient Policy
