If you organise events in the UK, you will almost certainly hear someone mention the Purple Guide. Published by the Events Industry Forum, it is widely used by local authorities, Safety Advisory Groups and event professionals as a benchmark for good practice. It is guidance rather than law, but if something goes wrong, it is often the standard your planning will be measured against.

Its chapter on medical, ambulance and first aid management is the part that shapes your medical plan.

A risk-based approach

The most important principle is that there is no single answer for how much medical cover an event needs. Instead, provision should be based on a proper assessment of the risks at your event. Two events with the same attendance can need very different cover.

Factors that affect the assessment include:

  • the expected number of people on site at peak times
  • the age and profile of your audience
  • the type of activity, such as live music, sport or motorsport
  • whether alcohol is available, and whether camping is involved
  • the duration of the event and the likely weather
  • the size and layout of the site, including access routes
  • the distance to the nearest emergency department

What a medical plan should cover

Your medical provider should produce a written plan that explains how medical care will be delivered on the day. As a minimum, we would expect to see:

  1. The level and number of staff, and the skills they hold.
  2. Where treatment areas and roaming teams will be located.
  3. How the medical team communicates with event control and security.
  4. How patients are escalated, including arrangements with the local NHS ambulance service.
  5. How incidents are recorded, and how information is shared after the event.

A good medical plan is a working document. It should change as your event plan develops, not sit in a folder once the licence is granted.

Working with your Safety Advisory Group

Many local authorities ask organisers to present their plans to a Safety Advisory Group. Having a clear, risk-based medical plan makes those conversations far easier. It shows you have thought about foreseeable problems, from heat exhaustion on a sunny afternoon to a major incident, and that you have the resources to respond.

Common gaps we see

When we review existing plans, the same issues come up regularly. Staffing levels are sometimes based on attendance alone. Welfare and medical provision can be confused. Plans may not mention how the team will reach patients in a dense crowd, or what happens when the site is busiest after dark.

Addressing these points early saves time and avoids last-minute changes.

How Full Blue can help

We produce medical risk assessments and plans for events of all sizes, and we staff them with experienced clinicians and first aiders. If you would like us to review your current arrangements, or to plan cover for a new event, send us your event brief and we will be in touch.