Medical care is an essential aspect of event planning, and it forms part of statutory responsibilities in regards to your attendee and staff safety obligations. Whether you’re organising a small gathering or a large event, ensuring that the right medical care is available can make all the difference in ensuring the safety and well-being of your attendees. Choosing the right medical care for your event is critical, and here’s why.
First and foremost, the safety of your attendees should be your top priority. As mentioned at the start of the article, the HSE places certain obligations on event planners in regards ensuring the safety and wellbeing of your attendees. When planning an event, it’s important to consider the potential risks that could arise, as these will affect the medical cover you need. From minor injuries such as cuts and scrapes to more serious incidents like heart attacks or seizures, having access to competent and equipped medical care is crucial in ensuring that your attendees receive the appropriate treatment. You also have to consider the activities that are taking place at your event, and how this might affect your medical provision. Small events where high risk activities such as motorsport or combat sports are occurring will require specialist, tailored care for instance.
Another reason why choosing the right medical care is important is that it can help mitigate potential legal issues. In the event of an accident or injury, organisers can be held liable if they fail to provide adequate medical care, and the HSE are keen to investigate infractions to this regard. By ensuring that appropriate medical care is available, organisers can demonstrate that they took reasonable steps to ensure the safety of their attendees.
Moreover, having access to medical care can enhance the overall attendee experience. When attendees know that medical care is available, they can relax and enjoy the event with peace of mind, knowing that they are in a safe environment. It also reduces the incidence of more serious injuries and even lost time as medics can deal with minor issues before they escalate into something more major.
So, what should you look for when choosing medical care for your event? First and foremost, you’ll want to ensure that the medical care provider has the necessary expertise and experience to handle a wide range of medical emergencies. A medical provider should be providing you with a comprehensive medical plan, tailored to your event. In fact, the purple guide makes no odds in regards to this and states that in planning the event, medical provision should be one of your main priorities. You should also consider the size of your event and the number of attendees, as this will help determine the level of medical care required. For smaller events, a first aid kit and trained personnel may be sufficient, while larger events may require paramedics, doctors or even a fully staffed ‘event hospital’. Another risk factor can be the layout of the site, for instance, you might need to consider rescue capability if patients might end up in remote or difficult locations.
In addition, you should ensure that your provider has a robust clinical governance policy, vets their staff and holds insurance such as medical malpractice, public liability and employers liability.
Finding good medical care for your event doesn’t need to be a chore. MEDIREK have ability to plan and provide medical care for a range of event size and type, and have ability to provide competent medical rescue teams for events where patients may present in those more difficult locations. If you are planning an event, we can certainly help. Contact us!
