Recommendation MAI-107: Ensure immediate HART resource deployment
From Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response, published 3 November 2022.
Recommendation
The Department of Health and Social Care and the National Ambulance Resilience Unit should develop procedures to ensure that, so far as possible, each ambulance service trust is able to deploy or call upon HART resources immediately in the event of a Major Incident. As part of that, the Department of Health and Social Care and the National Ambulance Resilience Unit should develop procedures to ensure that, so far as possible, each ambulance service trust can call upon cross-border support in respect of HART resources immediately in the event of a Major Incident. There may be some incidents that are so significant that an individual ambulance service will need to mobilise its own HART resources and also draw upon cross-border support. Procedures need to accommodate this.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry recommended procedures ensuring immediate deployment of Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART). The Cabinet Office reported in February 2026 that ambulance services are required under emergency preparedness standards to mobilise four HART personnel within 15 minutes and six within 10 minutes of confirmed need (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). It noted that organisations must maintain a 30-minute notice to move across the country following an endorsed mutual aid request (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). It stated that procedures are developed and implemented and are monitored through assurance processes, enabling resources to deploy as recommended (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The United Kingdom Government had accepted the recommendation in full in November 2025 (Cabinet Office response, Nov 2025).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
Accepted in full
Delivery
Cabinet Office says in progress (27 February 2026)
As part of the NHS Core Standards for emergency preparedness resilience and response (EPRR) each ambulance service is required to have the following in place in relation to Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) deployment: * Four HART personnel must be available or released and mobilised to respond locally to any incident identified as potentially requiring HART capabilities within 15 minutes of the call being accepted by the provider. * Once a HART capability is confirmed as being required at the scene (with a corresponding safe system of work) organisations must ensure that six HART personnel are released and available to respond to scene within 10 minutes of that confirmation. The six includes the four already mobilised. * Organisations must ensure that their 'on duty' HART personnel and specialist vehicles and equipment to maintain a 30-minute notice to move to anywhere in the United Kingdom following a mutual aid request endorsed by NHS England or National Ambulance Response Unit. Procedures are developed and implemented and are monitored as part of the NHS Core Standards self-assessment assurance process. Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) resources can be deployed and respond as per the recommendation.
Earlier statement on delivery (1)
Cabinet Office (14 November 2025)
As part of the NHS Core Standards for emergency preparedness resilience and response (EPRR) each ambulance service is required to have the following in place in relation to Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) deployment: * Four HART personnel must be available or released and mobilised to respond locally to any incident identified as potentially requiring HART capabilities within 15 minutes of the call being accepted by the provider. * Once a HART capability is confirmed as being required at the scene (with a corresponding safe system of work) organisations must ensure that six HART personnel are released and available to respond to scene within 10 minutes of that confirmation. The six includes the four already mobilised. * Organisations must ensure that their 'on duty' HART personnel and specialist vehicles and equipment to maintain a 30-minute notice to move to anywhere in the United Kingdom following a mutual aid request endorsed by NHS England or National Ambulance Response Unit. Procedures are developed and implemented and are monitored as part of the NHS Core Standards self-assessment assurance process. Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) resources can be deployed and respond as per the recommendation.
From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)
Published evidence
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Summary by this site of the published finding
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Source
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Cabinet Office
Delivery statement