If you are organising an event in the UK, one of the questions you will be asked is whether you are legally required to have medical cover at the venue. The short answer is that there is no single law that says every event must have a paramedic on-site. But the real answer is more important, and is associated with taking note of the consequences.
In this guide, we explain what the law actually requires regarding medical cover at events, what the industry guidelines say, and how to make sure you have the right level of medical provision.
The Health and Safety at Work Act
The initial point for event medical requirements in the UK is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This places a general duty on anyone organising an event to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of everyone attending, responsibility and practically.
In practice, this means carrying out a risk assessment before the event and putting appropriate measures in place to manage the risks you identify. Medical provision is almost always one of those measures. The size of your event, the type of activities involved, and the profile of your audience all affect the appropriate level of medical safety.
The Act does not specify exactly what medical cover you need. It leaves that to your own risk assessment results. But if something goes wrong and you have not made reasonable provision for medical emergencies, you could face enforcement action, prosecution, or civil liability.
The Purple Guide
For outdoor events and festivals, the Purple Guide is the industry standard reference for health and safety planning in the UK. Published by the Events Industry Forum, it provides detailed guidance on medical provision based on the size of the crowd, the type of the event, and risk factors.
The Purple Guide includes a medical resource calculator that helps organisers determine how many medical staff they actually need and at what qualification level. It takes into account factors like expected attendance, the nature of the event, whether alcohol is being served, whether the event is indoors or outdoors, and the distance from the nearest hospital.
While following the Purple Guide is not a legal requirement, it is widely recognised by local authorities, licensing bodies, and the event medical services industry as best practice. If you are applying for an event licence, your local Safety Advisory Group will almost certainly expect your medical plan to align with Purple Guide recommendations.
In our experience, those who follow the Purple Guide rarely run into problems with their medical provision. Those who ignore it often find themselves scrambling to arrange cover at the last minute when the council flags gaps in their event management plan.
The Green Guide
For sporting events held at venues with spectator accommodation, the Green Guide provides equivalent guidance. Officially called the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, it is published by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority and covers medical provision for football grounds, rugby stadiums, cricket venues, athletics tracks, and other sports facilities.
The Green Guide covers minimum first aid provision based on venue capacity and includes requirements for first aid rooms, medical equipment, and trained medical staff. For events at sports venues, compliance with the Green Guide is often a condition of the ground’s safety certificate.
What Your Local Authority Expects in the UK
When you apply for an event licence or submit an event management plan to your local council, the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) will review your medical provision. SAGs include representatives from the council, police, fire service, and ambulance service, and they assess whether your plans are adequate for the size and type of event you are organising.
What they typically look for is a documented risk evaluation that specifically addresses medical risks, a plan that matches the level of risk identified, confirmation that medical staff are qualified and appropriately registered, evidence that the medical provider is CQC-regulated or working through CQC-regulated bodies, and details of communication protocols between medical staff, event management, and emergency services.
If the SAG is not satisfied with your medical provision, they can implement conditions on your licence or, in some cases, refuse it altogether. Getting your medical planning right from the beginning avoids delays, additional costs, and the stress of last-minute changes.
What Level of Medical Cover Do You Need?
The right level of medical cover depends on your specific event. As a general guide, small private events, such as birthday parties or garden parties, with up to 200 guests may require only a single qualified first aider. Medium community events such as fairs, charity runs, or school sports days with 200 to 1,000 attendees typically need one or more first aiders and potentially an EMT. Large public events like concerts, festivals, and major sporting events with over 1,000 attendees usually require a full medical team including paramedics, and possibly ambulance standby and a dedicated treatment area.
The key is to base your decision on a proper risk assessment rather than on guesswork. Factors like alcohol availability, physical activities, outdoor exposure, and the age profile of your audience all influence the level of medical cover you need.
K4 Medical offers free risk assessments for events of all sizes, helping you determine exactly what medical provision your event requires. Get in touch to arrange yours.
What Happens If You Get It Wrong?
The consequences of insufficient medical provision at an event can be significant. From a legal perspective, if someone is injured or becomes seriously unwell and you have not provided reasonable medical cover, you could face prosecution under health and safety legislation, civil claims for negligence, insurance complications or denied claims, and difficulty obtaining licences for future events.
Beyond the legal risks, there is the human cost. A cardiac arrest where no defibrillator is available, an allergic reaction where no one is trained to administer an EpiPen, or a crowd crush where there is no triage capability can all have devastating outcomes.
One thing we have found is that the cost of proper medical cover is always a fraction of the cost of getting it wrong. Professional event first aid cover is an investment in safety, not an expense.
