The Importance of Event First Aid Cover

Understanding the Basics of Event Medical Cover

Event medical cover is a specialist service providing first aid and medically trained staff, aiming to offer high-quality care for various incidents, ranging from minor injuries to more serious conditions.
Professional event medical cover, staffed with qualified personnel like paramedics, doctors, and nurses, is crucial for the safety and well-being of event attendees.
By ensuring a prompt response to emergencies and adhering to health regulations, event medical cover mitigates liability risks for organizers and helps maintain a safe event environment.
The level of medical cover required varies by event type and size, from small to large-scale, and extends to diverse events such as athletics, festivals, motor sports, and corporate functions.

Why First Aid is Non-Negotiable at Any Event

Legal Compliance is vital. Legislation and guidance says that event organisers must provide adequate and appropriate personnel. This ensures that everyone can receive immediate help if they become ill.
Moral responsibility means keeping everyone safe at events, not just following the law, for peace of mind for all

Types of Event First Aid Cover

Event Medical Cover can take different forms, from basic care to advanced prehospital and care services. Whether your event just needs basic cover from trained responders or on site medical centres managed by Doctors. The key is to match the level of cover to your events risk profile.

Your event might need more than just a simple medical cover resource. You should take care to ensure that you meet the guidance set out by your local authority. You will often have to follow the purple guide but you should do this as best practice.

Your event might need cycle response units, ambulance crews, paramedics, rapid response vehicles or high quality field hospitals. Ensure your medical cover provider can arrange this.

Types of Event Medical Staff

Different companies will offer different levels of staff. These are the most common titles, but you should check exactly what qualification each title has. You should also ensure that people being described as Healthcare Professionals (Paramedics, Nurses, Doctors etc) are registered with their relevant professional body.

First Aiders

First aiders can provide medical cover for your event. They will usually have (Emergency) First Aid at Work Course. They have the lowest “scope of practice” and can only perform basic treatment.

First aiders are only suitable for smaller events or as part of a larger team with higher clinical skill!

First Responders

First Responders are the first level of clinician that most medical companies provide. They should have a nationally recognised qualification (such as FREC 3). They can be used at all types of event and provide patients with a high level of medical care.

Emergency Care Assistants

Emergency Care Assistants (ECAs) have ambulance level skills and should hold a qualification to the level of FREC 4. ECAs will have a high standard of medical training. They are often found working on an ambulance.

Emergency Medical Technicians

Ambulance technicians are the highest level of non-registered medical professional. They can provide a high level of treatment and are great to support music festivals, large events and work in remote locations.

Healthcare Professionals

Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) are a group of professional staff who are registered with a national body. They are usually Paramedics, Nurses and Doctors. HCPs can also include other medical staff who work in hospitals like opticians and pharmacists.

These staff can work at all types of event, often found working at sporting events or large outdoor events they provide high quality care services. Their expert knowledge means they can provide outstanding care to patients.

Planning and Implementing Effective First Aid Cover

Effective event medical cover begins with a thorough risk assessment and understanding the specific needs of your event. This helps your medical provider to create a detailed medical needs assessment.

Conducting a Comprehensive Risk Assessment

A risk assessment should be your first step in planning. This involves:

Identifying potential hazards at your event.
Evaluating the risk associated with these hazards.
Determining the appropriate level of first aid cover required to manage these risks effectively.

Choosing the Right First Aid Provider

Selecting a provider involves several considerations:

Safe Recruitment: Ensure the provider has suitable compliance checking in process for their staff. Their staff must hold the relevant skills.
Capacity to Meet Your Needs: Confirm they can supply the level of cover your risk assessment dictates.
Insurance: Ensure your event medical provider has appropriate insurance in place (including medical malpractice and fleet insurance!)

What will my event medical provider do for me?

When you bring a professional provider of event medical services into your event you invest in safety.

Medical services are specialists in pre event planning and should provide you with a detailed plan. Their Medical Needs Assessment should detail what medical equipment and staff they are going to deploy and why.

You should check to see if your provider is:

Contacting local ambulance services and your local hospital(s)
Sending experienced staff that meet your event risk profile
Using high standards of clinical documentation to support their staff
Following the guidance to create a safe environment at your event

What is the guidance on event first aid?

Lots of guidance and advice exists on first aid at events. You should be familiar with these:

The Purple Guide offers guidance on medical, health, and safety practises for event organisers. It stresses the importance of planning for effective, safe and resilient event first aid that suits the risk level of your event.
The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 covers first aid requirements in the UK. It says that the you must facilitate the provision of immediate attention to employees who need it at work. The HSE also highly recommends including event attendees in this as well.

You should also be aware of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. You must be aware that failing to follow this guidance and legislation may result in prosecution.

What is a Safety Advisory Group?

Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs) are a key part of planning safe public events. These groups usually comprise of representatives from local authorities, emergency services and other relevant stakeholders. The main purpose of a SAG is to provide guidance and advice on public safety at events.

You can often find information about your local authorities safety advisory group on their website. Here’s an example of Cheshire East’s Event Safety Advisory Group

Frequently Asked Questions

Who provides first aid at events?

LightMed offers event first aid cover, ensuring that each event has suitable medical teams. We can handle any medical situation. Helping organisers to meet the Purple Guide’s best practices.

How many first aiders do I need for my event?

The number of first aiders required for an event depends on multiple factors. These include the audience size, nature of the event, and the risk level. The Purple Guide provides a tiered approach to help determine appropriate medical staffing levels.

How much does event medical cover cost?

The cost for event medical cover varies based on the level of cover required. LightMed provides a tailored quote based on a Medical Needs Assessment in line with the Purple Guide’s recommendations.

Can I use my own first aider at my event?

The Purple Guide explains that for some events a simple dedicated first aider might be suitable. However, you must consider the potential for serious incidents and consider whether or not you want professional medical cover.

What can you provide for my event?

We can provide a full range of staff, from first aiders to healthcare professionals. Fully equipped with high standard medical equipment, our teams can deal with any situation.

Our teams can deploy in a cycle responder in cycle response units for sporting events. We can provide ambulance crews in an emergency ambulance. We build an on-site medical centre, with advanced life support facilities. All events get a detailed risk assessment. We then create a bespoke medical plan for your event. All our staff get fully briefings before any event.

Key Takeaways for Event Organisers

First aid at events is a critical part of planning your event and it requires careful consideration and professional execution. Follow the advice in this article to make sure your events follow UK rules and are safe and fun for everyone.

If you need first aid for an event, contact accredited service providers like us. They will take care of your event medical services so you can focus on making your event successful.

Remember that the responsibility for staff and attendees safety lies with you. You cannot pass on the responsibility to someone else!

Are you ready to step up your event safety?

Speak with our team