Business as Usual?

The Assembly finds more needs to be done over the next year to ensure the capital’s health and emergency services can cope with pressures of hosting 2012 Games.

This Health and Public Services Committee report warns of significant pressure being placed on the capital's health and emergency services during London 2012. Planning is hindered by uncertainty over funding because of potential cutbacks and because organisations had to make funding bids without official estimates on visitor numbers. The report notes that London Fire Brigade is already estimating a £900,000 shortfall for planning around the Games.

The report also highlights a lack of clarity over the range of cultural and other events due to take place throughout 2012 that will stretch emergency service personnel. Watch a video about the report:

The report sets out 12 milestones that organisations need to meet within the next 12 months to remain on course and highlights the role that Londoners can play in helping reduce pressure on services. These include:

• the Government to agree final Olympics funding within the next year with service providers
• publication of London’s emergency and health services budgets for delivering services during Games time– including any funding gaps
• new detailed plans from organisations, once official estimates on visitor numbers have been published
• a finalised picture of all cultural and other events scheduled to take place in 2012
• successful testing of systems and command and control arrangements
• clear plans for managing volunteering, leave and “mutual aid” agreements between emergency services.