Recommendation HIDD-79: Department of Health to review Circular 71, clarifying Major Incident declaration terms
From Hidden Inquiry — Final Report, published 7 November 1989.
Recommendation
The Department of Health shall review DHSS Circular 71 in consultation with emergency and medical services to reflect all lessons learned but in particular in relation to procedures for declaring a Major Incident. The Department of Health shall specifically require that the terms used to warn hospitals of a possible Major Incident, and subsequently to declare an actual Major Incident are sufficiently distinct to prevent any confusion between the two. The terms used shall exclude any colour.
Government response
No government response to this recommendation is on the record yet.
Delivery
No statement on delivery from the addressee has been found in the sources searched (last checked 27 February 2026). This is separate from the response above.