Emergency preparedness in the UK: official advice at a glance

Short answer. In the UK, national preparedness advice comes from the Cabinet Office through its GOV.UK/Prepare website ¹². It asks households to keep supplies for an emergency lasting a few days, with at least 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day ¹. Warnings reach phones through Emergency Alerts ⁴. No public shelter programme is published; the advice is to shelter indoors or evacuate on instruction ⁵.

Information verified on 20 October 2026.

Who is responsible for emergency preparedness in the UK?

The Cabinet Office's Resilience Directorate developed GOV.UK/Prepare and is responsible for national resilience policy ². Local planning is done by Local Resilience Forums (38 in England, 4 in Wales), 3 Regional Resilience Partnerships in Scotland and Emergency Preparedness Groups in Northern Ireland ². The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) gives radiation and health protection advice ⁵⁶.

The UK has no printed household crisis booklet in current use; GOV.UK/Prepare, with a printable household emergency plan, is the official resource ¹². A national resilience public engagement campaign anchored in GOV.UK/Prepare was announced in July 2026 to launch later in the year ³.

What does each UK page cover?

What should a UK household do first?

1. Build up supplies for a few days over time, as GOV.UK/Prepare advises ¹.
2. Check that your phone can receive Emergency Alerts: iOS 14.5 or later, or Android 11 or later, on 4G or 5G ⁴.
3. Write key numbers on paper, including 105 for power cuts ¹.
4. If you live near a nuclear site, read your local council's emergency plan ⁷.

Our general guides go further: family emergency plan, 72-hour kit, water per person and shelter or evacuate.

Frequently asked questions

Which UK agency is in charge of emergency preparedness?

The Cabinet Office, through its Resilience Directorate and GOV.UK/Prepare, with Local Resilience Forums and their equivalents doing local planning ².

Does the UK have nuclear shelters for the public?

No public shelter programme is published. UKHSA advises staying indoors with doors and windows closed, or evacuating when instructed ⁵.

How will I be warned in the UK?

Through Emergency Alerts on 4G and 5G phones. No sign-up is needed ⁴.

Sources

1. Cabinet Office (GOV.UK Prepare) — Get prepared for emergencies — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Cabinet Office (GOV.UK Prepare) — About this website and UK resilience — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/about-this-website-and-uk-resilience/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Cabinet Office — The UK Government Resilience Action Plan: 2026 Implementation Report — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-government-resilience-action-plan-2026-implementation-report/the-uk-government-resilience-action-plan-2026-implementation-report-html (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. UK Government (GOV.UK Emergency Alerts) — How emergency alerts work — https://www.gov.uk/alerts/how-alerts-work (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. UK Health Security Agency — Nuclear emergencies: information for the public — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nuclear-emergencies-information-for-the-public/nuclear-emergencies-information-for-the-public (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. UK Health Security Agency (hosted by NHS England) — Protocol for the administration of potassium iodide 65mg tablets to adults and children exposed to or at risk of exposure to radioactive iodine in an emergency situation (v3.00) — https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/PRN01656-Potassium-IODIDE-Protocol-65-v3.00.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. Suffolk County Council — Sizewell B — https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/community-and-safety/emergency-planning/sizewell-b (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. NHS — When to use NHS 111 online or call 111 — https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-use-111/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
9. UK Government (GOV.UK) — Check for flooding — https://www.gov.uk/check-flooding (accessed 2026-10-20)