Enhance Healthcare to Host Major Multi-Agency Training Exercise at Whitehills
Enhance Healthcare is proud to be working in partnership with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to host a large-scale multi-agency training exercise at Whitehills Care Home, East Kilbride, on Sunday 6 October from 10:00–14:00.
The event will bring together SFRS, Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service and Whitehills staff in a live emergency scenario designed to test procedures and strengthen coordinated responses. The exercise will include a full evacuation drill, the use of actors as casualties, emergency service vehicles on site, and the presence of artificial smoke and fire alarms to create realistic conditions. To ensure this takes place safely, the training will be carried out in an unoccupied section of Whitehills Care Home, which is due to undergo a major refurbishment.
If you are in the area during this time, please be aware you may notice emergency vehicles and uniformed personnel at the site, artificial smoke from the building, and fire alarms sounding intermittently. This is a planned exercise in a controlled environment, with public safety as a priority. Access to and from local residences will remain open throughout, and we kindly ask that drivers take extra care and reduce their speed due to emergency service activity.
Hosting this exercise demonstrates Enhance Healthcare’s commitment to going above and beyond to ensure the highest standards of safety and preparedness for our residents, staff, and communities. But it is also an incredible opportunity for us as an organisation. Taking part in such a large-scale simulation allows us to experience first-hand how our own policies and procedures hold up under pressure, and to identify ways we can strengthen them further.
At the same time, the exercise provides Scotland’s emergency services with a vital opportunity to test and refine their coordinated response in a care home setting. The insights gained from this day will not only benefit Enhance Healthcare, but could also help shape how emergencies are handled across the wider care sector, building greater resilience and readiness for the future. Once the exercise is complete, a period of review and consultation will begin. This will look closely at what worked well, what can be improved, and how procedures can be made even stronger.
This event has taken months of planning, time, and coordination across all agencies involved. It is a credit to the professionalism and collaboration of Scotland’s emergency services that an exercise of this scale can take place, and it is inspiring to see multiple agencies working together so effectively for the benefit of those in care.
Enhance Healthcare is proud to open the doors of Whitehills to support such an important event and would thank SFRS, Police Scotland, the Scottish Ambulance Service, and all involved for their collaboration. This exercise is another step in our ongoing commitment to make sure our homes remain safe, secure, and prepared for every eventuality.
