Immediate danger to life: call 999 or 112.
UK Ready is an independent information site. Current official instructions for your area take priority over this general guidance.
Sources checked 24 October 2026
Plan around the person's actual requirements. A kit adequate for an adult does not automatically provide safe feeding, warmth, medication or supervision for a child. Include nappies, familiar food, appropriate feeding equipment, hygiene supplies, comfort items, contact details and any prescribed care equipment.
Baby feeding: Continue the usual feeding plan and obtain professional support if access or supplies fail. If formula is used, Be Ready recommends suitable ready-to-feed formula for emergencies where boiling water or sterilising equipment may be difficult. It still needs safe handling and feeding equipment. Read its storage instructions, including what happens after opening.
Powdered formula is not sterile. Normal NHS preparation uses freshly boiled safe drinking water which is at least 70C when mixed with the powder, followed by cooling the feed before giving it. Keep the prescribed water-to-powder ratio. Do not dilute formula to make it last longer, use suspect water, replace feeds with an adult water quota, or improvise homemade formula.
Bottled water is not sterile and is not normally the first choice for formula preparation. The NHS permits it in rare circumstances when drinking water is unavailable or contaminated, while keeping the preparation steps and any additional public health advice. Ask for urgent feeding support if safe preparation is not possible. Extraordinary national-outage contingency broadcasts are not instructions to change normal feeding safety during an ordinary local power cut.
Children away from home: Keep school and nursery contacts current. Check their emergency collection and shelter arrangements. During a radiation or chemical sheltering instruction, do not travel to collect them unless authorities instruct you to. Explain simply that adults at the setting are following a safety plan.
Access and caring: Arrange a trusted backup helper, accessible transport and alternatives to lifts. Include communication aids and sensory needs. Ask a disabled person what assistance they want and keep them involved in decisions. Check warmth, hydration, medicines and emotional state regularly.
If worried about health: Use the relevant urgent NHS service; call 999 for a life-threatening emergency. Seek advice early if feeding fails, a child cannot retain fluids or a dependant cannot remain safely supported at home.
If boiling water is unavailable, ready-to-use infant formula is the alternative advised by Food Standards Scotland. Follow the product instructions, including limits after opening. Feeding equipment still needs cleaning and sterilising.
Powdered formula is not sterile. NHS guidance requires freshly boiled water still at least 70°C when mixed, then cooling before feeding. Do not dilute feeds to stretch supplies. Bottled water is not normally recommended and does not remove the preparation requirements. For specialist feeds, seek advice from the child's care team.