Prime Minister Andy Burnham has urged British households to ensure they maintain a supply of items to ensure they have what’s needed to get through an emergency situation.
He explained that unexpected events "seem to becoming more common" and everyone should have "those supplies in the house to get you through those moments".
It’s part of the govenment’s new ‘Be Ready’ campaign, which recommends having food, water, and other items, to get through three days “while support reaches those in need”.
The campaign suggests a five-point plan to be prepared, namely:
- See what you already have: Check your cupboards first to see what essentials you already keep at home.
- Plan for your household: Note down what you still need, remembering items your family relies on, such as medical supplies, baby formula or pet food.
- Build it gradually: Pick up missing items when you can during your regular shopping trips to help spread the cost.
- Check it regularly: Set a reminder every six months to check expiry dates and swap out items that need replacing, or update your kit if your household’s needs have changed.
- Connect with your community: Talk to your neighbours about what extra support you might be able to share during an outage, and swap contact details.
And they have provided a handy checklist of items to pick up and store away in case of the worst, which you can access here.
Here are all 15 items you should store away in case of emergency.
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13. Prescriptions and emergency medicines
Always leave enough time to request repeat prescriptions so you have less chance of running out in an emergency. It’s important to request prescriptions up to five working days before you need your medicine. | Canva/Getty Images

14. Baby products
For the youngest members of the family, ensure you have supplies of nappies, wipes and baby formula - ready-made or ‘ready-to-feed’ formula is best, as you may not be able to boil water to make up powdered formula safely. | Canva/Getty Images

15. Pet food
Remember your four-legged friends to and make sure you have food supplies. Also take into account that you'll need more water if you are a dog or cat household. | Canva/Getty Images

