Event Medical Cover

Your event might not be held in a remote location but you still need to consider how you will care for any casualties whether they are injured or suddenly taken ill. The NHS ambulance services are constantly under pressure and the wait for a vehicle can be long. You should ensure that life-saving help is available on site to deal with any sudden illness or serious accident – the reputation of your event may depend on it, not to mention someone’s life.

As an Event Organiser, you have a duty of care to those taking part in, or visiting your event. You have a legal duty, under the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, for the Health & Safety of your employees. This legal duty extends to any volunteers, helpers or sub-contractors at your event.

Medical cover is not just about the number of ‘first aid’ staff but also about their experience and skill mix, from First Aid through Ambulance Technician or Emergency Medical Technician to Paramedic, Nurse or Doctor – do you know the skill set, and restrictions, for each of these ‘grades’?  Fortunately, we do, so we can help you get the right cover for the event.

Did you know that:-
 ‘The holding of a Health and Safety at Work, or three-day First Aid at Work certificate does not qualify a person as competent to administer first aid to the public at events’?
Event Safety Guide (The Purple Guide) 2015  Section 5.48. Page 7 of Section 5
 
The Purple Guide states ‘In order to ascertain the skill mix and how many personnel will be appropriate, it is important to undertake a medical, ambulance and first aid resource assessment. Consideration needs to be given to:

• how many people are expected (staff, audience, participants etc)
• who may need assistance
• what may cause their injury/illness (from severe weather to participation in extreme activities)
• how likely is the problem to occur (unlikely through to certain)
• how serious their injury/illness may be (minor through to death)
• what control measures may be used.

We can help you assess the medical cover needed for your event – the Purple Guide Section 5 on Medical Cover is regularly updated and includes details on the skill levels of staff, pre-event planning, delivery during the event, record keeping, staff welfare, use of ambulances and medical plans, amongst other topics. Have you had time to read it, and more importantly, is it a subject that you are an ‘expert’ on?  We’ve read it, several times, and with over 35 years experience of providing medical cover at events, we can help guide you through the process and offer you our advice and experience, but the final decision always remains with you. Your event, your decisions, your choice.

For medium to large events, you are likely to need to appoint a medical provider and their provision may include First Aid Posts, Treatment Centres, Ambulances, Rapid Response Vehicles (RRV) or any combination of these resources. We can get quotes or other information, on your behalf, from both private medical providers and the Voluntary Aid Societies ( St. John Ambulance ). We can help ensure that you get the right level of cover, with the correct skill mix of staff to ensure that your event can safely cope with the incidents that are likely to occur, but mindful that no one needs unnecessary expense. Medical cover is not cheap, but it needs to be the right cover and proportionate to the event, that can actually help reduce the costs to you.

We aim to ensure that you get the correct level of medical cover, at the best price from the right provider.

For some smaller, low-risk events where you may only need one or two people with the right skill mix, and equipment, to deal with the incidents that might occur, for these events we have our own staff who can provide a fully insured, professional and experienced service. Please ask us if this level of cover is appropriate for your event.

We carry £4 million of medical indemnity and public liability insurance when providing first aid cover at events.

To discuss your requirements either call us on 07752316160 or email us at info@saferevents.co.uk or complete the Enquiry Form at the foot of our home page.

4×4 Response Unit

Our 4×4 Response Unit can carry an array of medical equipment, depending on the skill level and qualifications of the crew, including:

• Resuscitation bag (including airway adjuncts)
• Oxygen
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
• Burns Kit
• Trauma bag
• Patient assessment equipment
• Minor injuries packs
• Drugs Pack including Asprin, Paracetamol, Gluco-gel, Ibuprofen, Ibuprofen gel, Loratadine, Salbutamol and Adrenaline (1:1000 for treatment of anaphylaxis)