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Crisis Management
Regarding the relocation of a surgical unit, the main concern would be the ease of the
patients. If previously they had been booked for surgery in Kidderminster, they will now
have to travel to Droitwich. The staff themselves may also be inconvenienced by the
relocation, as they may have further to commute.
To ease the relocation, a phased plan should be implemented, where the administrative
staff and main equipment is relocated first, followed by the surgical staff, and finally the
patients. This is so that the equipment can be set up in preparation for the doctors and
nurses, who in turn can get used to the surroundings before the patients arrive for surgery.
The admin staff at the new location will need to be in contact with the main hospital,
in case of any problems. The patients themselves also need to be informed of the
new location, so that they can make travel arrangements. The doctors and nurses
need to be familiar with the new location the wards, where equipment is kept, etc!
so that the surgeries and post op care are not adversely affected.
"ach staff member affected by the move needs to be fully briefed about the date
and time that they themselves will be phased into the new location. The movers
need to know where each piece of equipment goes, the admin staff need to know
where their office is and when to move in, as do the surgical staff.
# back up plan needs to be in place, so that if the movers are late, or if a piece of
equipment is damaged, the whole schedule will not be disrupted. $or this reason, it
is advisable to have a pro%ect manager to oversee the schedule, and help anyone
who is unsure of what to do.

Task: A) Explain ho crisis management ould appl! to the relocation of a surgical
unit from "idderminster to #roithich.
$) %ummarise crisis mangament for managers
Client &eference: 'nterhealth Canada
Task A) %urgical (nit &elocation
%ix %tep &elocation )lan
&! Internal and e'ternal communication
(! )ogistics
*! +ontingency plan
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The pro%ect manager should have a master schedule, and the people in each phase
should have a smaller schedule relating to their part in the plan. $rom this, a
critical path and crashing time can be calculated, so that the first date of surgery
is not missed or delayed.

# basic risk assessment e'ercise should be carried out as part of the contingency
plan, to aid the prioritisation of risks and responses. # risk response matrix is
useful, as it lists the course of action to be taken, and who it should be conducted
by.
$rom this, the pro%ect manager can assign *deputies+ or main contacts for every
group affected by risks, ie, one main spokesperson for all risks related to admin
staff, one for doctors, one for nurses, one for the movers, and any other party
involved. # main contact should also be present in the main hospital headquarters
ie- the old location!.

The new location itself should have suitable room numbers, room si.es, sufficient
parking and ease of access.
# crisis plural crises! in business terms is any negative event which would lead to,
a loss of reputation
a loss of sales
anything which could negatively impact on shareholders
+rises can include,
natural disasters
product recalls
rumours about the company or key employees
negative media coverage about +/R activities
+ontinued on ne't page!
#efining Crises
Task $) %ummarise Crisis Management
Crises Examples:
0! 1ro%ect 2anager
3! Risk #ssessment
4! 5ew )ocation
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#ll crises can widely be categorised as
financial crises loss of sales for shareholders, as well as loss of employee
earnings!
health crises natural disasters, nuclear spills!
social crises loss of security, negative +/R coverage!
To successfully manage a crisis, one should focus on prevention rather than cure.
#ll potential risks should be monitored and dealt with before they reach crisis stage and
result in media coverage.
+ontingency plans should be established in the event that a crisis does occur.
It is also advisable to rehearse possible scenarios, so that key members of staff feel in
control in the event of an actual crisis.
If a crisis does develop, it should be dealt with as quickly as possible, as the first few hours
following any crisis are critical.
This will minimise loss of reputation and sales. The cause or warning signs of the
crisis should be analysed, and responses should be prioritised according to
necessity.
The spokesperson should be completely honest so that goodwill can be quickly
restored. # well known personality would be best, such as when /ir Richard
6ranson spoke on behalf of 7irgin Trains on the derailment of a train in +umbria.
"ach team member should have a clearly defined role in managing the crisis, so as
to recover from the crisis as quickly as possible and resume normal business
activities.
+ontinued on ne't page!
Categorising Crises:
Managing Crises:
%tep $! %tep ,uidelines -n Crisis Management:
&! +ontingency plans should be implemented
(! # spokesperson should be selected to handle media coverage
*! # support team should be behind the spokesperson
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This will help the company resume normal activities quickly, thus minimising
financial losses.
This is where key staff members can interact and devise the best possible course of
action.
The company should be seen as a caring, responsible organisation, which can be
trusted by customers.
#dditionally the steps being taken by the company to deal with the situation should
be e'plained. This should maintain goodwill, and may also reduce the chances of
being sued later.
$ree call centres should be set up so that customers can get direct advice, and feel
valued by the company. This helps to maintain customer loyalty, post crisis.
Rather, they should be kept informed of events through the company directly, rather
than the media.
1ayables should be prolonged and receivable time reduced. 8hen possible, short
term sales should be maintained and e'penses should be minimised.
"'pected losses, and e'pected recovery time should be e'plained.
9nforeseen repercussions should be dealt with as quickly as possible.
+ontinued on ne't page!
0! /et up a business continuity plan
3! /et up a crisis centre or :base;
4! 6e proactive about engaging with the media
<! The root cause of the crisis should be e'plained honestly
=! If the crisis is due to manufacturing defects
>! "mployees should not be ignored
&?! $inances should be monitored
&&! 6oard members should be briefed
&(! The crisis should be tracked
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The crisis management team should evaluate the outcome of their contingency
plan, including the total losses incurred, the public opinion of the company, future
improvements to the contingency plan, and how other staff were affected.
To keep good relations with employees, it is desirable that they be kept on payroll.
This may not always be possible, but if the crisis is short term eg, a power cut
which limits productivity for a few days! then the employees should be kept well
informed about the impact this will have on them.
This will help to maintain good relations with employees, as well as maintaining a
positive overall reputation of the company.
&*! 1ost crisis
&0! $or e'ample