Head of Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR)

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen at University Hospitals Sussex for a passionate and strategic leader to take on the role of Head of EPRR and Business Continuity.

As a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, UHSX plays a key role in regional emergency planning. You will lead on ensuring compliance with the NHSE EPRR Framework, develop and implement Trust-wide emergency and business continuity plans, and champion a culture of resilience across all sites.

The successful candidate will be a subject matter expert in EPRR, with significant experience managing emergency planning and incidents at operational, tactical and strategic levels. You’ll work closely with senior leaders, clinical and operational teams, and external partners to ensure preparedness, develop training programmes, and lead incident debriefs and assurance processes.

If you’re driven to strengthen NHS emergency readiness and thrive in high-stakes, collaborative environments—this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

Apply now to help shape a more resilient future at UHSX.

Main duties of the job

Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA) UHSX is designated as a category 1 responder with key emergency response duties.  Under the Act UHSX is required to ensure it has robust plans for EPRR including business continuity, critical and major incidents.  In addition, the Trust is required to meet the core standards for EPRR as set out in the NHSE EPRR Framework 2022.

Category 1 responders are those organisations at the core of emergency response, emergency services, local authorities and NHS bodies example; Foundation Trusts, and are subject to the full set of civil protection duties.

The role of the EPRR Service is to ensure the organisation complies with its statutory obligations with regard to Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response and to ensure the Trust maintains its operational capability as far as is reasonably practical during an emergency/incident.

To promote and embed a culture of EPRR across UHSX, which is owned across the Trust.  Building organisational and EPRR Service capability and capacity, to meet the needs of the organisation and delivery of the Trust’s EPRR work programme.

The EPRR Service works with partner organisations to support system resilience and to contribute to forums enabling sharing of best practice, peer review, and collaborative working.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Establish effective communication networks and engage with key internal and external stakeholders including Hospital Directors, Divisional teams and Corporate Senior teams, other category 1 responders, EPRR leads within the Sussex ICB, to ensure effective partnerships and co-operative working.
• Requirement for providing and receiving highly complex information which is multi stranded and requires the use of motivational skills to ensure ‘buy in’ and engagement from all relevant stakeholders.
• Develops and maintains strong and productive working relationships with Emergency Preparedness leads across a range of agencies.
• Act as the Trust expert in EPRR matters and provide expert analysis of highly complex EPRR matters which would involve comparison and critique of a wide range of options where there is no defined course of action and expert opinion/advice differs.
• To lead the Trusts Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response agenda and to ensure the Trust discharges its responsibilities in relation to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
• To ensure that robust processes are in place to maintain and develop the Trust’s Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response (EPRR) as defined by NHS England EPRR Framework and Standards 2022.

For further information, please see the Job Description and Person Specification