A vital exercise testing the response to a major pandemic was delayed by two years because of the ebola outbreak, we can reveal.
The cross-Whitehall operation, codenamed Cygnus, was due to take place in October 2014, examining plans at a range of organisations, including the Department of Health (DH), NHS and Public England.
But the ebola epidemic in West Africa derailed the three-day drill until autumn 2016.
The importance of the 2014 exercise was outlined in a PHE document, Pandemic Influenza Response Plan 2014, published in August that year.
The plan, still available online, says: “In October 2014 Exercise Cygnus, a DH-led Tier 1 pandemic influenza exercise as part of the UK government national exercise programme, aims to assess the preparedness and response to an influenza pandemic in the UK.
“PHE and NHS England together with health and social care partners are participating in this three-day exercise.
“PHE will have full participation in the required response.
“Following the post-exercise lessons identified process, PHE will review and revise this and all associated plans as appropriate.”
It adds: “The learning from the national multiagency pandemic influenza Exercise Cygnus in late 2014, will inform the further development of comprehensive and integrated plans in delivering an effective and sustainable response across the organisation.
“This system of cross-organisational working will deliver the resources, science and leadership required during the pandemic in order to support the staff and organisational response from local and national centres, and laboratories.”
In the foreword to the document, PHE's founding chief executive Duncan Selbie wrote: “The prospect of a flu pandemic is one of the highest risks faced by the UK.
“Ensuring the country is fully prepared and able to respond quickly and effectively is a top priority for PHE and, of course, for the government.”
Local NHS trusts were relying on the exercise to help them update plans for tackling a major outbreak.
A summary report of a meeting of the South Tees NHS Foundation Trust's board of directors in August 2015 revealed how Cygnus was thwarted 10 months earlier.
The report says: “Although the last Influenza pandemic occurred in 2009, the government considers that an influenza pandemic continues to represent the most significant civil emergency risk on the National Risk Register.
“As a Category 1 responder, under the Civil Contingencies Act, the Trust must ensure plans are regularly updated, exercised and shared with other partner organisations.
“PHE had scheduled a national multi-agency pandemic flu exercise, Exercise Cygnus, for 2014.
“However this had to be cancelled due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.”
The simulation would also have offered local resilience forums (LRFs) experience of tackling such a crisis.
An 11-page briefing drawn up for Lincolnshire LRF outlined the objectives of the 2014 Cygnus: “To exercise organisational pandemic influenza at local and national levels in the United Kingdom; to exercise coordination of messaging to the public; to exercise strategic decision-making processes around managing the wider consequences and cross-government issues at both local and national levels during an influenza pandemic (such as excess deaths); to exercise the provision of scientific advice, including SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) during an influenza pandemic.”
The exercise eventually took place in October 2016, after the May 2015 general election and the June 2016 Brexit referendum.
The conclusions of the simulation have never been made public.
But the exercise is understood to have highlighted shortages of intensive care beds, vital equipment and mortuary space.
Shadow Health Minister Justin Madders said: “These exercises are hugely important to help prepare for a pandemic like Covid-19 so of course, the earlier they take place, the more government can learn and better prepare.
“This is highlighted by the fact that the 2016 exercise apparently revealed shortages of intensive care beds, vital equipment and even mortuary space.
“There are serious questions about the level of preparation that took place before we entered this pandemic.
“Government should reveal in full the recommendations made after the Cygnus exercise and set out what action it took in response to each and every one of them.”
Lib Dem MP Layla Moran said: “It is surprising that the exercise was delayed by two years.
“Once the UK had tackled ebola we should have prioritised a pandemic flu exercise and implemented the recommendations without delay.
“The Government should release the full results of this exercise.
“The public interest is now overwhelming, and transparency is key to maintaining accountability and public trust.”
Asked about the delay, a Government spokeswoman said: “This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it.
“Our response at all times is guided by the best scientific advice.”
