Guidance

A guide to incident management teams (IMTs)

Updated 29 July 2026

This guide is for individuals from voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) groups and settings that might be involved in incident management.

What is an incident management team?

An incident management team (IMT) is a group of people who work together to manage a specific infectious disease or environmental health risk, for example:

• one or more people are found to have a serious infection that spreads easily
• there is an environmental health risk, such as a spill of a harmful chemical or very poor air quality

The IMT includes people from different organisations and groups. These may include:

• public health specialists
• health professionals
• environmental health officers
• managers from health services or local authorities
• representatives from community settings and organisations

The IMT shares information about what is happening. They assess risks, make decisions and agree plans to protect people’s health.

What does an IMT do?

The person in charge of the incident, called the chair or lead, decides who should be part of the IMT. These people are invited to a meeting to learn more about the incident and plan what to do next.

Before the meeting, the organisers will share an agenda. This is a list of topics to discuss.  They also share important background information. This helps everyone understand the situation before the meeting.

Information shared as part of the incident is often sensitive and may include personal details about people and their health. This means it must be handled in line with data protection and confidentiality requirements. Information should only be shared outside the IMT where there is a valid reason to do so and with the express permission of the chair. Any information or documents shared must be handled and stored securely.

IMT meetings may take place in person or online. They may be just one meeting or several meetings.

During the meeting, the IMT agrees a plan about how to:

• support and give advice to people who are unwell or at risk of becoming unwell
• support and give advice to staff who are involved in the incident
• put actions in place to protect people’s health and wellbeing, such as those who were close to an infected person or at risk in the environment
• provide support or information to the wider public or to places that may be affected by the incident, such as schools or care homes

Who may be at an IMT meeting?

Below are examples of organisations and groups who may attend.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)

Health protection specialists who give advice about diseases, testing, environmental health risks and how to protect health. UKHSA often leads the meeting, but this can change depending on the incident.

Local authority

Environmental health and public health specialists who give advice on health risks in the community, link with local services, and may carry out investigations.

NHS

Health professionals, such as doctors and nurses, and managers who may organise or give care. This may include treatment and testing.

People from voluntary, community and social enterprise groups

People from voluntary, community and social enterprise groups give advice on how to support people and how best to reach different communities with messages.

People from places like schools, workplaces, or care homes

People from settings explain how the incident is affecting their setting. They help provide care or support to people, and share messages with staff, families or residents.

Other professionals

These may include communications staff, who help share clear information with the public, and administrative staff, who take notes (called minutes) and help organise meetings.

What is my role?

You may be asked to attend an IMT meeting. You may also be asked to speak with IMT members to share information that will help the IMT make decisions. If you are a member of the IMT but cannot attend the meeting, the team will still share decisions and actions with you.

If you represent a voluntary, community or social enterprise organisation, you may be asked to:

• raise any risks or impacts relating to your community linked to the incident
• communicate how people in your community are feeling or what people are worried about
• share ideas on how to support people and keep people safe
• suggest ways to share clear and helpful messages
• provide feedback on plans to respond to the incident and reduce risks

If you represent a setting such as a school, care home, or workplace and are asked to join an IMT, you may be asked to:

• explain how the incident is affecting your setting
• share information about people who are unwell or at risk
• provide feedback on plans to respond to the incident relevant to your setting
• pass on messages to staff, residents, families or others
• provide care or advice to people who need it

You can ask questions at any time during the meeting and share your ideas.

If you need help to take part in the meeting, please tell the chair.

What happens after an IMT meeting?

After the meeting, the IMT will share the meeting notes, also called minutes, with its members. The notes may include actions for IMT members. The notes are confidential and must not be shared with anyone outside the IMT.

The IMT will decide if more meetings are needed. A final meeting, called a debrief may take place. This is used to discuss what went well and what could be done better next time.