Walsall Manor Hospital emergency drills: 7 dates for 'unusual activity'

Health officials in Walsall have moved to reassure the public ahead of a series of planned emergency drills at a major local hospital.

Emergency Preparedness Exercises Announced

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust has publicly scheduled seven specific dates for exercises designed to rigorously test its emergency responses and operational procedures. The first of these drills is set for Saturday, December 27, 2025.

The trust stated that the activities are a core part of its mandatory Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) programme. These exercises are deemed essential to ensure the hospital is fully prepared to manage a wide spectrum of potential incidents that could disrupt health services or patient care.

What the Public Can Expect

During the drills, members of the public can expect to see specialist vehicles from the West Midlands Ambulance Service's Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) near the main entrance of Walsall Manor Hospital. The exercises will involve patient transfer drills, with a planned route that includes arrival and parking near the main entrance and the use of a pre-arranged location within the maternity block.

Liam Ferris, head of EPRR at the trust, emphasised the importance of the collaboration. "This is an important collaboration that strengthens our partnership and provides a valuable opportunity to test and validate emergency plans across both organisations," he said.

Schedule and Public Reassurance

Mr Ferris was keen to stress that normal hospital operations will continue unaffected, but the advance notice was issued to prevent alarm. "During the exercise, specialist vehicles will be visible near the hospital’s main entrance. Normal hospital operations will not be affected, but we want to make the public aware to avoid any unnecessary concern," he added.

The full list of scheduled exercise dates is as follows: