How To Do It: Run an emergency helpline

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Abstract
Planning The time available for planning will depend on the circumstances of the incident and may be several weeks or less than 24 hours. Below we list the issues that need to be tackled whatever the length of the planning period. The purpose of the helpline must be explicitly defined — is it to supply general information or personal details or counselling to relevant individuals? If the helpline is providing only general information do you require a mechanism for calling people back with complex queries? Good briefing notes for helpline workers are essential to ensure that everyone is aware of what information is to be supplied or withheld. One person should be responsible for production of the notes. They should include the background to the incident; responses to expected questions; procedures for dealing with unexpected or difficult queries; guidelines on confidentiality; details of other resources (for example, telephone numbers of other helplines or counselling services); routes of access for formal complaints; and procedures for dealing with obscene, silent, or threatening calls. One member of the team should be made responsible for designing a data collection form and collecting information to monitor the helpline. Helplines that respond to individual queries need more elaborate forms than those that offer general advice or information. The basic information should include date and time of call; sex, age, and postcode of caller; and the appropriateness of the call — for example, was the individual in the affected group of patients? Other data from callers such as changes of address or of general practitioner may be important in case finding. The media can be used to publicise the helpline and will often give the helpline's number in news bulletins and newspapers after a press release or press conference. Give information about the helpline to other switchboards which may be contacted by callers (for example, health centres). Special needs of ethnic minorities and the hearing impaired need to be considered at the planning stage.

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