You’ve booked your event medical provider. The quote looked reasonable. The provider seemed professional on the phone. They’ve sent over some paperwork. Job done, right?
But here’s a question you probably haven’t asked: Who’s actually checking this event medical provider?
Who’s verifying their staff are who they say they are? Who’s ensuring they’re qualified, insured, and safe to work with vulnerable people? Who’s making sure your event medical provider is following proper protocols and maintaining standards? Who’s ensuring they have access to the right medications and equipment?
The uncomfortable answer might be: nobody.
The Story Nobody Wants to Tell
A few years ago, we were commissioned to provide a CQC-registered conveying ambulance at a school triathlon event. Hundreds of kids, aged 8-16, competing in swimming, cycling, and running. It’s the kind of event where safeguarding is absolutely paramount.
The event organiser had booked another event medical provider to run the medical cover for the event itself. We were there specifically because they needed a CQC-registered ambulance service for patient transport—something the main provider couldn’t offer.
The guy running the main medical provision seemed really good on the surface. Professional, experienced, confident. He had the uniform, the equipment, the chat. If you’d met him, you’d have thought: “Yeah, this person knows what they’re doing.”
Then we found out the truth.
He’d been struck off the paramedic register. The reason? Child sex offences.
Let that sink in for a moment.
This person was running medical cover at a school event. Surrounded by children. Providing medical care that often involves being alone with young people in vulnerable situations. The event organiser had booked him in good faith, having no idea about his background.
Why? Because he wasn’t working under a CQC-registered organisation. There was no regulatory oversight. No mandatory DBS checks. No verification of his professional registration status. No accountability.
He’d simply set up as a self-employed event medical provider. And schools and event organisers—who had no reason to suspect anything—were booking him.
This is exactly why we were there with a CQC-registered service. Because proper regulation and oversight matter. The event organiser needed a CQC-registered ambulance for transport, but they hadn’t realised the same standards should apply to the entire medical provision.
This Isn’t a One-Off
Before you think “that’s a rare extreme case,” consider this: if there’s no regulatory oversight, how would you know?
Without CQC registration and the accountability that comes with it, there’s nothing stopping anyone from:
- Setting up as an event medical provider
- Claiming qualifications they don’t have
- Using staff who aren’t properly vetted
- Operating without insurance
- Ignoring safeguarding requirements
- Cutting corners on equipment and protocols
And you, as the event organiser, would have no way of knowing until something goes wrong.
What CQC Registration Actually Checks for Your Event Medical Provider
When an event medical provider is CQC-registered (learn more about why CQC registration matters), they’re subject to regulatory oversight that includes:
Staff Recruitment & Vetting:
- Enhanced DBS checks through the Disclosure and Barring Service for all staff
- Verification of professional registration with the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) or NMC (Nursing and Midwifery Council)
- Qualification verification
- Reference checks
- Right to work verification
- Occupational health clearance
Ongoing Monitoring:
- Regular CQC inspections (announced and unannounced)
- Staff competency assessments
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements
- Clinical supervision
- Incident reporting and investigation
Accountability:
- Public ratings (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate)
- Published inspection reports
- Regulatory action for failures
- Legal consequences for serious breaches
Safeguarding:
- Safeguarding policies and procedures
- Staff training on safeguarding
- Clear reporting mechanisms
- DBS renewal requirements
- Fitness to practice monitoring
- Following government safeguarding guidance for events involving children and vulnerable adults
A non-CQC registered event medical provider? They have none of this. They’re accountable to nobody.
“But Surely There Are Other Checks?”
You might be thinking: “Even if my event medical provider isn’t CQC-registered, surely there are other ways to verify them?”
Let’s look at what’s actually available:
Professional Registration (HCPC, NMC):
Yes, you can check if someone is registered as a paramedic or nurse. But:
- Registration doesn’t guarantee they’re currently fit to practice
- It doesn’t verify they have appropriate insurance
- It doesn’t confirm they’re working within proper governance structures
- It doesn’t check their staff (if they’re employing others)
Insurance:
You can ask your event medical provider for proof of insurance. But:
- Insurance certificates can be faked
- You won’t know if the policy actually covers what they’re doing
- You won’t know if they’ve disclosed everything to their insurer
- You won’t know if claims have been made against them
References:
You can ask for references from previous clients. But:
- References can be selective (they won’t give you the unhappy clients)
- Previous clients may not have known what to look for
- A “professional” appearance doesn’t equal proper practice
- Problems may not have surfaced yet
DBS Checks:
You can ask if they’re DBS checked. But:
- They can say “yes” without proving it
- DBS checks expire and need renewal
- A clear DBS doesn’t guarantee ongoing fitness to practice
- If they employ others, are all their staff checked?
Without regulatory oversight, you’re relying entirely on trust. And trust isn’t a safeguarding strategy.
The Scenarios That Should Worry You
Let’s think about some realistic scenarios with event medical providers:
Scenario 1: The Unqualified “Paramedic”
Someone sets up as an event medical provider, claiming to be a qualified paramedic. They’ve got a uniform, some equipment, and a professional website. Event organisers book them.
Reality: They did a first aid course and bought a uniform online. They’re not registered with the HCPC. They have no professional indemnity insurance. They’re making clinical decisions they’re not qualified to make.
Without CQC oversight, who’s checking?
Scenario 2: The Struck-Off Clinician
A paramedic or nurse has been removed from their professional register due to serious misconduct. Maybe clinical incompetence. Maybe something worse. They can’t work for the NHS or any CQC-registered provider.
So they set up independently as an event medical provider. Working events where nobody checks their registration status.
Without CQC oversight, who’s stopping them?
Scenario 3: The Unvetted Staff
An event medical provider employs casual staff for events. They recruit through Facebook groups, often just hours before the event. No DBS checks. No reference checks. No verification of qualifications. Just “can you work Saturday?”
Some of these staff might be excellent. Some might not be. Some might have backgrounds that should absolutely preclude them from working with vulnerable people.
Without CQC oversight, who’s vetting them?
Scenario 4: The Uninsured Provider
An event medical provider claims to have insurance but actually doesn’t. Or has inadequate cover that wouldn’t pay out in a serious incident. They’re gambling that nothing will go wrong.
When something does go wrong, the event organiser discovers there’s no insurance to cover the claim. The liability falls back on them.
Without CQC oversight, who’s verifying the insurance?
“This Couldn’t Happen at My Event”
That’s what every event organiser thinks. Until it does.
The school that booked the struck-off paramedic? They thought they’d done their due diligence. They’d asked for a quote, checked the event medical provider seemed professional, and paid the invoice.
What they hadn’t done—because they didn’t know they needed to—was verify CQC registration. Check HCPC registration status. Ask about safeguarding policies.
Why would they? The provider seemed legitimate.
That’s exactly the problem.
The Regulatory Gap for Event Medical Providers
Here’s the really frustrating part: there’s currently a regulatory loophole for temporary event medical cover.
The CQC doesn’t regulate all event medical providers in the same way they regulate permanent healthcare services. This gap allows providers to operate without oversight, without accountability, and without the checks that would be mandatory in any other healthcare setting.
This loophole needs closing. And it will be. The direction of travel is clear, with upcoming regulations expected to bring all event medical provision under proper regulatory oversight.
But until that happens, the responsibility falls on you as the event organiser to ask the right questions.
What You Should Be Asking Your Event Medical Provider
For more questions to ask, see our complete guide: The Questions Every Event Organiser Should Ask Their Medical Provider
1. “Are you CQC-registered?”
If no, walk away. If yes, ask for their CQC registration number and check it on the CQC website.
2. “Can I see your latest CQC inspection report?”
All inspection reports are public. A legitimate event medical provider will happily share theirs.
3. “What’s your CQC rating?”
Outstanding? Good? Requires Improvement? Inadequate? This tells you a lot.
4. “How do you recruit and vet your staff?”
You want to hear: Enhanced DBS checks, professional registration verification, reference checks, occupational health clearance.
5. “Are all your staff DBS checked?”
Not just “yes.” Ask for evidence of their safeguarding policy and DBS renewal procedures.
6. “Can you provide evidence of your insurance?”
Not just a certificate. Ask what’s covered, what the limits are, and whether it’s appropriate for your event.
7. “What safeguarding policies do you have in place?”
Especially important for events involving children or vulnerable adults.
8. “Can I speak to references from similar events?”
And actually call them. Ask specific questions about professionalism, capability, and any concerns.
Learn more about what proper event medical cover should include and how to verify your provider.
The Cost of Getting It Wrong
“But CQC-registered event medical providers are more expensive,” you’re thinking.
Yes, they are. Because all of this—the vetting, the checks, the oversight, the accountability—costs money.
But what’s the cost of getting it wrong?
What’s the cost when you discover the person providing medical care at your event isn’t who they claimed to be?
What’s the cost when someone is harmed and you discover your event medical provider had no insurance?
What’s the cost when a serious incident occurs and the investigation reveals your provider had no proper qualifications, no oversight, and no accountability?
What’s the cost to your reputation? Your legal liability? Your insurance? And—most importantly—to the people who trusted you to keep them safe?
Every Event Deserves Proper Oversight
It doesn’t matter if you’re running a small community event or a major sporting competition. It doesn’t matter if you’re expecting 100 people or 10,000.
Every event deserves an event medical provider that’s properly regulated, properly vetted, and properly accountable.
Your participants, your spectators, your volunteers—they’re trusting you to keep them safe. That includes trusting you to ensure that anyone providing medical care has been properly checked and is working within appropriate oversight.
You wouldn’t hire a coach driver who wasn’t properly licensed and checked. You wouldn’t hire a food vendor who wasn’t registered with environmental health. You wouldn’t hire security staff who weren’t SIA licensed.
Why would you hire an event medical provider that isn’t properly regulated?
The Bottom Line
Without CQC registration, there’s no independent verification that your event medical provider is:
- Who they say they are
- Qualified to do what they’re doing
- Employing properly vetted staff
- Following appropriate protocols
- Maintaining proper standards
- Adequately insured
You’re relying entirely on trust. And in safeguarding, trust isn’t enough.
At Marches Ambulance Service, we’re a CQC-registered event medical provider, regularly inspected. All our staff undergo enhanced DBS checks, professional registration verification, and comprehensive vetting. We have robust safeguarding policies, proper insurance, and full accountability.
We’re not just telling you we’re professional—we’re proving it through independent regulatory oversight.
No subcontractors. No surprises. No gaps in accountability.
Can your current event medical provider say the same? More importantly, can they prove it?
Want to know what questions to ask your medical provider? Download our free guide: “The Event Organiser’s Guide to Medical Cover” or get in touch: hello@marchesambulance.co.uk