title: The approach to a major incident.
abstract: Any major incident will test the organisational and medical skills of those involved. The best response can only be achieved with good planning and preparation, and the adoption of a structured approach to the scene. A clear chain of command should exist within all emergency services and must be followed. The Ambulance and Medical Incident officers take overall responsibility for the health service response. Management priorities--Command and Control, Safety, Communications, Assessment--must take precedence over support priorities--Triage, Treatment, Transport.
authors.affiliation: MDHU Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans