A little preparation goes a long way. Explore the official UK 3-day guidance ↗
be readyFOR EMERGENCY
Home & family

Plan ahead for medical and accessibility needs

Arrange individual backup plans with your care team and equipment provider.

Reviewed 23 October 20262 min readIndependent UK household guide

Get advice for your actual equipment

Write down the model and support number for any powered medical or mobility equipment you rely on. Ask the provider how it behaves during a power cut, how long its backup lasts and what to do when the backup is exhausted. Do not assume an ordinary phone power bank is suitable.

Keep the plan accessible

Keep relevant instructions, medicine information and support contacts where you can find them without internet access. If a medicine needs refrigeration, ask your pharmacist for a specific plan rather than guessing how long it can be kept warm.

Register for support

Ask your electricity and water providers about extra-support registration. In Great Britain this includes Priority Services Registers; Northern Ireland has Customer Care Registers. Registration helps providers understand your needs but cannot guarantee a continuous supply.

Know when to get urgent help

If loss of power places someone in immediate danger, call 999 or 112. Do not wait for an online outage estimate if the agreed medical backup plan is no longer safe. Revisit the plan when equipment, health needs or carers change.

Source & further reading
UK Government: power cuts ↗

Check the linked guidance for updates. Follow local instructions during a real incident. This site does not provide live emergency information.

Put it into practice
Start with trusted informationUK Government ↗British Red Cross ↗NCSC ↗