In the events industry, the Purple Guide has long been the go-to resource for health, safety, and welfare standards. The recent changes to this essential guide—particularly the shift from detailed medical coverage tables to a more flexible, assessment-based approach raise important questions about event safety. Today I’d like to explore what these changes mean for both event organisers and event medical service providers, and how we can maintain safety standards in this new landscape.
Understanding the Changes
The Purple Guide previously gave us specific tables that outlined recommended event first aid provision based on event size, type, and risk factors. But the updated guidance has moved away from this formulaic approach, instead emphasising that:
“Every event is unique, and the medical cover required is determined by the specific characteristics and risks of the event, rather than by using a ‘score sheet’ approach.”
While the guide still categorises events into five tiers of complexity, it now places much greater emphasis on comprehensive medical needs assessments for determining appropriate professional event first aid cover levels.
The rationale behind the change
This shift acknowledges what many of us in the industry have known for years—events vary significantly in their risk profiles, and attendance numbers alone aren’t enough for determining appropriate medical coverage. The new approach encourages a more holistic assessment that considers multiple factors:
- Nature and duration of the event
- Temperature and humidity
- Age profile and vulnerable groups
- Activities on site
- Site conditions
- Alcohol and drug consumption likelihood
- Camping provisions
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), “Effective planning for health and safety at events is essential,” and this more tailored approach could potentially lead to more appropriate comprehensive event first aid cover when implemented correctly.
Potential benefits of the new approach
More tailored coverage
By moving away from formulaic tables, the new guidance encourages coverage that better reflects each event’s specific risks and challenges. The Event Safety Alliance has long advocated for risk assessments that account for an event’s unique characteristics rather than relying solely on attendance figures. This helps event medical service providers deliver more appropriate care.
Professional judgment and expertise
The changes elevate the role of professional judgment and specialised expertise in medical planning. This aligns with best practices recommended by the International Journal of Event Management, which emphasises the importance of qualified risk assessment in event planning. Professional event first aid teams can now better apply their expertise to each unique situation.
Greater flexibility
Events with unique elements can now have medical coverage that addresses their specific needs without being constrained by standardised tables that might not account for their particular risk profiles. The National Outdoor Events Association supports this type of flexible approach to event safety planning. This allows for more customised event first aid solutions.
Potential risks and challenges
Increased uncertainty for event organisers
Without prescriptive tables as reference points, organisers—especially those with limited experience—may struggle to determine appropriate medical coverage levels. The Events Industry Forum notes that clear guidelines have historically helped set industry-wide safety standards for event first aid provision.
Variable interpretation of requirements
The absence of explicit minimums could lead to inconsistent implementation across similar events. Research published by the Association of Event Venues indicates that when guidelines become less prescriptive, interpretation tends to vary significantly between different organisations. This creates challenges for both organisers and event medical service providers.
Economic pressures may drive coverage decisions
Honestly speaking – in the absence of prescribed minimums, there’s a real risk that financial considerations could unduly influence medical coverage decisions. Without clear benchmarks, it becomes much harder to determine when cost-cutting is actually compromising safety. The Institute of Event Management has published case studies demonstrating this challenge. This may lead some organisers to reduce comprehensive event first aid cover.
Challenges for medical service providers
The new approach creates several operational and business challenges for event medical service providers:
Resource planning uncertainty
Without standardised guidelines, predicting resource needs across events becomes more complex. Staffing and equipment allocation decisions fore professional event first aid cover must now be made on a more case-by-case basis, potentially creating inefficiencies. The Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care provides useful guidance on resource planning for event medicine.
Increased proposal development complexity
Medical providers must now conduct more detailed assessments for each event proposal, increasing administrative overhead and potentially extending proposal timelines. The British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) offers frameworks that can streamline this process for event first aid providers.
Contract negotiation challenges
In the absence of clear industry standards, negotiations with event organisers may become more contentious, especially when event medical service providers recommend coverage levels that exceed organiser expectations or budgets. The UK Centre for Events Management has researched these challenges extensively.
Quality vs. cost competition
I really need to emphasise the point that the lack of established minimums could intensify price-based competition over quality-based service differentiation. The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health highlights that unclear standards often lead to market pressures that can undermine safety objectives. This particularly affects providers of professional event first aid cover.
Real-world implications
Consider a medium-sized music festival with 5,000 attendees. Previously, the Purple Guide would have specified the minimum number of first aiders, healthcare professionals, ambulances, and medical facilities required. Now, two identical festivals might have vastly different medical provisions—one with comprehensive event first aid cover including on-site doctors and ambulances, another with only basic first aid support.
For event medical service providers, this means dealing with clients who may have vastly different expectations and budgets for similar events, creating operational challenges and potential ethical dilemmas when asked to provide coverage they consider inadequate. The Association of Independent Festivals has documented this growing disparity in approach.
Best practices for the new landscape
For event organisers
Despite the changes to the Purple Guide, I strongly recommend that responsible event organisers should:
- Seek expert guidance early: Engage qualified event medical service providers during the initial planning stages to conduct thorough risk assessments. The Event Industry News regularly features advice from medical experts on this topic.
- Document decision-making: Maintain detailed records of the factors considered when determining medical coverage levels, which may be important for insurance and liability purposes. Event Industry Forum provides templates for this documentation.
- Prioritise professional qualifications: The Purple Guide still emphasises the importance of appropriately qualified medical personnel, with clear guidance on credential verification. The Health and Care Professions Council, General Medical Council, Qualsafe, The Royal College of Paramedics and many others maintain registers of qualified practitioners.
- Maintain adequate resources: Ensure sufficient event first aid resources throughout all phases of the event—including build, breakdown, and egress phases—as highlighted in the updated guidance. The UK Crowd Management Association provides excellent resources on this.
- Get independent assessment: Utilise an independent medical risk assessment service provided by qualified professionals. Event Safety Shop offers guidance on independent assessments for comprehensive event first aid cover.
I’m not trying to scare anyone here, but we need to talk about this – skimping on medical support isn’t just about ticking boxes. It’s about real people—your attendees—and keeping them safe. Picture this: someone gets hurt, but there’s not enough medical help around. What could have been a minor incident turns serious. That’s bad for the person who’s hurt, obviously, but it could also tank your event’s reputation. Is saving a bit of money worth that risk?
For medical service providers
I also believe event medical service providers should:
- Develop clear internal standards: Establish minimum coverage thresholds for different event types based on experience and best practices. The College of Paramedics offers guidelines that can inform these standards for professional event first aid cover.
- Educate clients: Provide comprehensive explanations of risk assessments and coverage recommendations, emphasising the value of appropriate medical provision beyond mere compliance. The Event Safety Alliance has educational resources that can assist with this.
- Document recommendations: Maintaining detailed records of all coverage recommendations, especially when clients opt for less coverage than advised, is crucial. The Medical Protection Society provides comprehensive guidance on documentation best practices. Their resources emphasise the importance of clear, objective, and contemporaneous record-keeping to support safe and effective care. For detailed guidance, you can refer to:
- An Essential Guide to Medical Records: This guide outlines the significance of proper record-keeping in medical practice.
- Good Medical Practice: Published by the General Medical Council (GMC), this framework sets out the standards expected of medical professionals, including aspects related to documentation.
- Industry collaboration: Work with peers to establish voluntary best practice standards that could fill the gap left by the removed tables. The National Outdoor Events Association facilitates such collaboration among event first aid providers.
A better alternative (The structured assessment approach)
While the Purple Guide has moved away from prescriptive tables, I believe a middle-ground approach combining flexibility with structure would better serve the industry:
Medical need assessment framework
The Purple Guide now includes a medical needs assessment framework in Appendix 1, but this could be enhanced with:
- Clear baseline requirements based on event categories for comprehensive event first aid cover
- Decision-making flowcharts for exceptional circumstances
- Case studies demonstrating appropriate coverage for various event types.
Independent medical risk assessment
For events above certain thresholds (attendance, activities, duration), requiring an independent medical risk assessment by qualified professionals could maintain safety standards while allowing for event-specific customisation. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents advocates for this approach to determine appropriate professional event first aid cover.
Collaborative industry standards
Event medical service providers could work with event industry associations to develop consensus-based standards that balance flexibility with safety. This collaborative approach would benefit from the practical experience of providers while addressing the diverse needs of event organisers. The British Standards Institution has facilitated similar industry-wide standards.
Conclusion
Here’s the bottom line – the Purple Guide’s shift from prescriptive tables to a more flexible assessment-based approach presents both opportunities and challenges for the events industry. While providing event organisers with greater flexibility can be beneficial, removing structured guidance on medical coverage requirements potentially creates significant safety risks and business challenges for event medical service providers.
Professional event first aid services become even more crucial in this new landscape, serving as trusted advisors who can help navigate the complexities of appropriate medical provision without the benefit of clear industry benchmarks.
For all stakeholders, the key to maintaining safety standards lies in thorough risk assessment, professional expertise, and the recognition that comprehensive event first aid cover is not merely a compliance exercise but an essential element of responsible event management.
Remember, when it comes to event safety, it’s always better to be over-prepared than under-resourced. For more information on professional event first aid cover best practices, visit the Event Safety Alliance Resource Centre.
