Who we are
Name: Peter MacPhee Job Title: Emergency Planning Officer
Department: Public Health
1. Who am I?
I am Peter MacPhee and for the past three years I have been NHS Highland’s Emergency Planning Officer, based at Assynt House in Inverness.
2. What do I do? Describe your role?
It is my job to make sure that NHS Highland is prepared to deal with any type of major emergency or incident that would normally overwhelm our day to day services. That might be in relation to some catastrophic incident resulting in mass casualties, or could be what we term a ‘rising tide’ event, such as pandemic flu. I support a number of emergency planning groups at Board level and within the Operational Units, which oversee the implementation of legislation and guidance in relation to civil contingencies.
I deal with many members of staff across NHS Highland, other Health Boards, and various departments within Scottish Government. I also fully engage with staff from our partner agencies at local, regional and national level and I travel frequently to attend meetings and exercises around the Board area and elsewhere in Scotland.
3. Why is this role important?
None of us know for certain what lies ahead. However, there are some risks that can be reasonably foreseeable and there are a host of arrangements that can be put in place in advance, either to mitigate against the risk, or minimise its impact. No matter what type of incident we are dealing with, no single organisation can deal with it on their own, which is why we spend so much time planning, training and exercising with other organisations, including all the emergency services, local authorities, environment agency, utility companies, transport organisations and many others.
4. Most challenging part of my job?
The most challenging part of the job is the geography of the area we cover, from Caithness to Campbeltown. It is predominately remote and rural, and resources are stretched over a vast area. Also, we are experiencing an unprecedented level of change within organisations, e.g. the reform of Police and Fire Services, which inevitably means we will need to adapt to ensure it does not diminish our ability to respond to major incidents.
5. Most interesting part of my job?
The most interesting part of my job is the variety of people I meet and work with, many with a fascinating range of skills and experience. I learn every day!
- What qualifications do I need?
The post requires qualifications at graduate level, or equivalent professional qualification. The ability to communicate is absolutely essential, and a good sense of humour does not go amiss.
7. Who do I get in touch with if I want to find out more?
Anyone looking for further information can contact me at