Preparing for the Event Healthcare Standard: What Event Organisers Need to Know
By John Blake, Founder & Managing Director, Midlands Ambulance Group
Event medical cover in England is changing more in the next 14 months than it has in the last 20 years. From 6 December 2027, it becomes a criminal offence to provide clinical treatment at a sporting or cultural event without registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Alongside that, the Department of Health and Social Care is overseeing a new Event Healthcare Standard that will set out what good healthcare at events looks like.
If you organise a festival, race, show, match or community event, these changes affect who you can book, what you should ask for, and how your Safety Advisory Group will judge your medical plan. Here is what is happening, why, and how to get ready.
Why this is happening: the Manchester Arena Inquiry
On 22 May 2017, the Manchester Arena attack killed 22 people and injured more than 1,000. The public inquiry that followed found serious failings in the emergency response, including the healthcare provision at the venue.
The inquiry recommended two linked changes. First, a national standard for healthcare at events. Second, that this standard should be backed by statutory regulation, with the CQC regulating event healthcare. Both are now being delivered.
Change one: CQC regulation of treatment at events
Until now, treatment given at temporary sporting and cultural events, and at sports grounds, sat outside CQC regulation thanks to two exemptions in the 2014 regulations. That gap meant a provider whose CQC registration had been cancelled for safety concerns could still trade in the events sector.
Parliament has now removed those exemptions. Any provider delivering the regulated activity of Treatment of Disease, Disorder or Injury (TDDI) on an event site must register with the CQC. The timeline is:
Date | What happens |
7 September 2026 | CQC registration for event providers opened |
7 September 2026 to 1 March 2027 | First stage: providers submit applications or update their Statement of Purpose |
6 December 2027 | CQC monitoring, inspection and enforcement begin; providing TDDI unregistered becomes an offence |
What about first aid? The government has been clear that first aid is not TDDI and stays outside CQC regulation. The deciding factor is the type of care provided and who provides or supervises it, not the size of the event. A typical parkrun or village fete covered by first aiders is unlikely to need a registered provider. An event where paramedics, nurses or doctors assess, treat or convey patients almost certainly will.
The CQC regulates the healthcare provider, not the event organiser. But as the organiser, the duty to run a safe event, including adequate medical cover, still sits with you. Booking an unregistered provider for clinical cover after December 2027 would be a serious risk to your event, your licence and your audience.
Change two: the Event Healthcare Standard
The Event Healthcare Standard is being written by a group of experts in emergency preparedness and event healthcare, convened by NHS England and checked by an independent review panel. Research commissioned through the NIHR is informing it, including a UK Health Security Agency review of existing guidance published in February 2026.
That review found current UK guidance on event healthcare varies widely in detail and content. That inconsistency is exactly what the standard is designed to fix. Once published, the CQC has said it will take the standard into account when regulating treatment at events.
The final text is still to come, but the direction is clear from the inquiry and the research behind it. Expect a stronger focus on:
Risk-based planning: medical resources matched to a documented event risk assessment, not a flat headcount ratio
Clinical governance: named clinical leads, scope-of-practice controls, audited patient records and incident learning
Major incident readiness: staff trained to respond to mass casualty events, with clear command and joint working with the NHS ambulance service and other responders
Competent leadership: trained medical commanders who can coordinate with police, fire and venue control
Integration with the NHS: early engagement with the local ambulance trust and Safety Advisory Group, and clear plans for conveyance to hospital
A preparation checklist for event organisers
You don't need to wait for the final standard to start. These steps will put your event in a strong position for the 2027 season and beyond:
Check your provider's CQC status now. Ask whether they have applied to register for TDDI and when they expect a decision. Multi-year contracts signed today will run past December 2027.
Ask for the medical plan early. A good provider will produce a written, risk-assessed medical plan, not just a quote for staff numbers.
Confirm clinical governance. Ask who the clinical lead is, how patient records are kept and how incidents are reviewed.
Ask about major incident training. Find out how the team would respond to a mass casualty incident and who would command it.
Engage your Safety Advisory Group and ambulance trust. Share your medical plan in good time so they can review it before the event.
Ask for post-event reporting. Patient numbers, presentations and lessons learned help you plan next year and demonstrate good practice.
How Midlands Ambulance Group is preparing
At Midlands Ambulance Group, we've spent the last year building for this change rather than reacting to it. Our CQC registration application is under way, covering treatment and conveyance from events. Our clinical governance is led by our Paramedical Clinical Lead and Medical Director, with every deployment backed by a risk-assessed medical plan, digital patient records and a full post-event report.
We provide cover across England, Wales and Scotland, from first aiders and FREC responders to ECAs, technicians, paramedics, nurses and doctors, with ambulances, rapid response vehicles and on-site treatment units. Our leadership team brings NHS ambulance service experience, and our event leads are trained in major incident management (MIMMS).
Whatever the final Event Healthcare Standard says, our aim is the same: Excellence in Emergency Care – Every Event, Every Time.
Planning an event for 2027?
If you're reviewing your medical cover for next season, talk to us early. We'll help you understand what level of cover your event needs, whether it falls within CQC scope, and how to build a medical plan your Safety Advisory Group will be confident in.
Request a quote or call our team. We're on call 24/7.
This article reflects the position as of October 2026. The Event Healthcare Standard has not yet been published, and the CQC's registration guidance may be updated. Always check the latest guidance from the CQC and DHSC.
Sources: CQC: New guidance for providers of health care and treatment at events · Hansard: Regulated Activities (Amendment) Regulations 2026 debate · UKHSA: Healthcare provision at events, a rapid scoping review · DHSC: Changes to regulations relating to the CQC, impact assessment
Comments