How Are Event Medical Providers Regulated in the UK?

CQC, Qualifications, Scope of Practice and Accountability Explained

Event organisers are increasingly expected to demonstrate not just that medical cover is in place, but that it is appropriate, governed and defensible.

One of the most common areas of confusion is regulation. Organisers are often told to ask whether a provider is “CQC registered”, to check qualifications such as paramedics or nurses, and to ensure someone is “checking” the people they are trusting with public safety.

This article explains, in plain terms, how event medical providers are regulated in the UK, what the Care Quality Commission (CQC) does and does not regulate, how clinical qualifications and scope of practice fit in, and where accountability actually sits.

For organisers trying to understand how event medical providers are regulated in the UK, this distinction between regulation, governance and accountability is critical.

How are event medical providers regulated in the UK and why governance matters

Public events are not workplaces, and they are not healthcare premises. They are complex, temporary environments where members of the public – often including children and vulnerable adults – may require medical assessment and treatment.

The Purple Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Music and Other Events (January 2026) makes clear that event organisers retain responsibility for ensuring that medical arrangements are:

Appropriate to the level of risk
Delivered by competent providers
Properly governed and supervised

This means organisers cannot rely on assumptions, titles or marketing claims alone. They must understand what is regulated, what is not, and what alternative safeguards are in place.

These governance considerations sit alongside the wider principle that event medical provision should always be proportionate to risk. We’ve covered how this is assessed in more detail in our guide on how much medical cover does my event need.

What the CQC regulates – and what it does not

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the statutory regulator of health and social care services in England. Its role in relation to events is often misunderstood.

What the CQC does regulate

In the context of events, the CQC regulates:

Patient transport services where patients are conveyed off site to hospital
The associated clinical activity connected with that regulated activity

If an event medical provider is conveying patients to hospital as part of its service, that activity must be carried out by a provider registered with the CQC for the appropriate regulated activity.

What the CQC does not regulate

The CQC does not currently regulate:

On-site assessment and treatment of illness or injury at events
First aid services
Temporary medical facilities that do not provide regulated activities

This distinction is explicitly acknowledged within UK event safety guidance. The absence of CQC regulation in these areas does not mean that activity is ungoverned or unsafe, but it does mean that organisers must look beyond CQC registration alone.

This is also why organisers should be cautious about assuming that basic workplace first aid arrangements are sufficient for public events. We’ve explored this distinction in more detail when looking at whether First Aid at Work is enough for events.

Why “CQC registered” is not the same as “appropriate for your event”

Being CQC registered confirms that a provider meets regulatory requirements for specific regulated activities. It does not, on its own, confirm that:

The provider’s staff are suitable for event work
The skill mix is appropriate for the risks identified
There is adequate on-site clinical leadership
The service is resilient if a vehicle or clinician is removed to convey a patient

The Purple Guide is clear that event medical provision must be risk-led and proportionate, not defined by registration status alone.

CQC registration should therefore be seen as one part of a wider governance picture, not a universal assurance mark.

Protected titles and unprotected titles at events

Another area of confusion is staff titles.

Some professional titles are legally protected, including:

Doctor (registered with the General Medical Council)
Paramedic (registered with the Health and Care Professions Council)
Registered Nurse (registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council)

Other titles commonly used at events – such as “medic” or “responder” – are not protected and do not, by themselves, indicate a particular level of qualification or competence.

The Purple Guide advises organisers to be cautious of unprotected titles and to seek clarity on:

Actual qualifications held
Scope of practice
Supervision and governance arrangements

Paramedics at events – autonomy and limitations

Paramedics are registered healthcare professionals and play a vital role in event medical care. However, there is often misunderstanding about what paramedics can and cannot do autonomously at events.

A paramedic’s scope of practice is determined not simply by registration, but by:

Education and training
Experience and competence
Prescribing status
The clinical governance framework they are working within

Being a paramedic does not automatically mean unlimited authority or independence. Like all clinicians, paramedics must work within defined scope and governance arrangements, with clear escalation and clinical leadership.

This is why the Purple Guide places greater emphasis on competence, supervision and skill mix than on job titles alone.

If not CQC, then who is actually checking your provider?

A common and entirely reasonable question from organisers is:

“If CQC doesn’t regulate everything, who is actually checking the people we are trusting?”

In practice, assurance comes from clinical governance, not a single external regulator.

Organisers should expect event medical providers to be able to demonstrate:

Named clinical leadership
Defined governance structures
Clear scope-of-practice controls
Appropriate supervision of junior staff
Incident reporting and learning processes
Audit and quality assurance
Appropriate insurance and indemnity

Good providers welcome these questions and can explain their governance clearly.

What organisers should actually check

When appointing an event medical provider, organisers should look beyond labels and ask practical, defensible questions, including:

What activities are regulated, and by whom?
Is patient transport provided, and if so, is it CQC registered?
Who is the named clinical lead for the event?
How are staff qualifications and competence assured?
How is supervision provided on site?
What happens if a patient needs to be conveyed to hospital?
Will on-site medical cover remain safe and sufficient if resources leave site?

These questions align directly with organiser responsibilities set out in UK event safety guidance.

A calm conclusion for organisers

Regulation of event medical providers is not binary. It is not a simple case of “CQC registered” or “not regulated”.

Instead, organisers are expected to understand:

What regulation applies to which activities
Where statutory regulation ends
What governance arrangements sit in its place

This is not about gold-plating or over-medicalising events. It is about making proportionate, defensible decisions that protect attendees, organisers and the wider healthcare system.

Understanding how event medical providers are regulated in the UK allows organisers to ask better questions, make proportionate decisions and demonstrate due diligence.

Looking ahead

There are planned changes to healthcare regulation expected to take effect from April 2026. These do not alter current requirements but may affect how some event medical services are regulated in future. We’ve summarised the key medical-related updates in the Purple Guide 2026 changes separately.