Event Medical Cover FAQ’s: What You Need to Know
+Event Medical Cover
When you're planning an event—whether it's a village fete, a marathon, or a weekend music festival—making sure you have the right medical cover in place isn't just a nice-to-have, it's often a requirement. But how much do you need? Who decides what’s appropriate? And what regulations are changing?
At MET Medical, we’re often asked about the rules and best practices around event medical cover, so we’ve pulled together the most frequently asked questions—along with some important updates that all event organisers need to know in 2025.
Do I legally need medical cover at my event?
In most cases, yes. Medical provision forms a key part of your Event Management Plan (EMP), which is often reviewed by:
Local licensing authorities
Safety Advisory Groups (SAGs)
Insurers
Emergency services
Without a credible medical plan, you may struggle to obtain the necessary permissions to hold your event.
What is an Event Medical Plan?
An Event Medical Plan details how your event will manage medical risk. It includes:
Risk assessments
Medical staffing levels
First aid points and vehicle access
Communication protocols
Escalation plans (e.g. to 999 services)
Triage and treatment arrangements
Licensing authorities and SAGs will expect to see this plan as part of your wider EMP.
At MET Medical, we can help you develop a comprehensive medical plan tailored to your event, aligned with current best practice and future regulatory standards.
What’s the Purple Guide and why does it matter?
The Purple Guide, produced by the Events Industry Forum, is the industry-standard reference for health and safety at events. It provides guidance on:
Medical staffing levels based on crowd size and risk
Site layout considerations for emergency access
First aid point positioning
Contingency planning for major incidents
Most licensing officers and SAGs refer to the Purple Guide when assessing whether your event is adequately resourced.
While it's not law, failing to follow Purple Guide principles could leave you exposed if something goes wrong.
What’s changing in 2025?
The regulatory landscape around event medical cover is evolving. Here are some key changes you need to know:
1. Upcoming Changes to CQC Regulations at Events
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is expected to introduce tighter regulations around the delivery of healthcare at events—even when services are provided by charities or volunteer organisations.
What this means for you:
Volunteer medics and first aid organisations may soon require CQC registration to operate legally if they provide services beyond basic first aid (e.g. monitoring vital signs, administering medication).
As an event organiser, you'll need to ensure your medical provider meets these standards.
MET Medical is fully CQC-registered and actively involved in responding to these upcoming changes.
2. New Event Healthcare Standard in Development
The Department of Health and Social Care is currently working on a national Event Healthcare Standard to bring consistency, accountability, and clinical governance to medical provision at events.
This new standard will affect:
Staffing qualifications
Scope of clinical practice
Safeguarding and record keeping
Medical governance and oversight
This will help eliminate inconsistencies in quality across providers—but it also means that cheaper, unregulated services may soon be non-compliant.
Are First Aid at Work (FAW) qualifications enough?
Not for public events.
First Aid at Work is designed for workplace incidents (like slips or burns in an office) and does not prepare staff for large-scale public events or high-risk situations like dehydration, intoxication, trauma, or crowd-related injuries.
While FAW-trained staff can assist in low-risk areas, public events typically require:
Event-trained first aiders
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs)
Paramedics or nurses, depending on the risk
Our teams at MET Medical are trained specifically for the event environment, with real-world experience and the ability to escalate care when needed.
How do I make sure I’m compliant?
To stay on the right side of the law (and avoid potential liability), your event medical provision should be:
✔ Backed by a clear risk assessment
✔ Aligned with the Purple Guide
✔ Reviewed and approved as part of your EMP
✔ Delivered by qualified, regulated professionals
✔ CQC-registered where required
✔ Supported by robust clinical governance
How can MET Medical help?
We provide full-spectrum event medical services including:
Risk assessments & medical planning
Event medical staff: first aiders, EMTs, paramedics, nurses
Ambulances and rapid response vehicles
Treatment centres and mobile units
24/7 clinical oversight and escalation protocols
Full CQC compliance
Whether you're running a small charity fundraiser or a multi-day festival, we’ll make sure your event is safe, covered, and compliant.
Book Your Medical Cover Today
Ready to talk to a professional team about your upcoming event? Contact MET Medical for expert advice, competitive pricing, and dependable service.