The government has announced that the largest ever national response exercise for pandemics is due to be held in the Autumn.
Ministers have also unveiled plans to better support vulnerable groups and train thousands of public servants to handle a range of crises, including pandemics.
The measures are in response to to the Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report, which looked at the resilience and preparedness of the UK prior to the pandemic.
The national pandemic exercise will be the first of its kind in nearly a decade and is set to be the biggest in UK history. The exercise will test the country's capabilities, plans, protocols and procedures in the event of another major pandemic.
The exercise will be led by senior ministers and involve thousands of participants. It will run across all regions and nations of the UK.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, The Rt Hon. Pat McFadden MP, said: "We must learn lessons from the Covid pandemic as we cannot afford to make the same mistakes again. But we will plan in a way that recognises the next crisis may not be the same as the last.
"We agree with the Inquiry that more needs to be done and are announcing measures to make sure that we are as prepared as possible for future pandemics.
"These changes will improve our resilience and preparedness and help to safeguard our citizens."
To support vulnerable groups, the Cabinet Office has created a Risk Vulnerability Tool with the Office for National Statistics. The tool creates a map of the UK for different risks, and shows where there are vulnerable groups who might be disproportionately impacted. Data is used to identify vulnerable groups by age, disability, or whether someone is receiving care.
The government tool can be instantly shared across departments and with devolved governments. It is hoped the tool will improve the government’s understanding of where disproportionately impacted groups are ahead of and during crises, and enable targeted local support where required.
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan said: "Our priority is to keep the people of Wales safe. We are committed to learning lessons from the pandemic and building on the existing foundations to ensure Wales is prepared for future emergencies.
"Over the past 6 months, we have worked with other devolved governments and the UK Government to carefully consider and begin the progress of implementing these important recommendations from the inquiry.
"We have taken action to improve our emergency response capabilities and will continue to build on this.
"This will include Wales playing a full role in the major exercise this autumn to test the UK’s capabilities, plans and procedures to prepare for possible future pandemics."
Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “Our deepest sympathies remain with all those who lost loved ones during the pandemic. And it is with those people firmly in mind that we will work to ensure Scotland is in the best possible position to prepare for, respond to and recover from future threats, including pandemics.
“In advance of, and in parallel to, the work of the Scottish and UK Covid-19 Inquiries, the Scottish Government has identified and actioned a number of improvements, including establishing an independent committee to provide expert advice on future pandemic risks and how best to prepare for them. We are also working with the other governments in the UK to deliver exercise plans for UK-wide civil emergencies.
“We know the pandemic greatly impacted the most vulnerable in society. As part of wider work to tackle inequalities, we will improve how we identify, assess and address the potential impacts of civil emergencies on those who need the most protection.
“We are also mindful of other potential emergencies – not least the impact of extreme weather. We will work with counterparts across the four nations and a range of organisations to learn from past events and global best practice.”
