Access All AreasThe Event Medical Association (EMA), a new body representing medical providers working within the events industry, was launched in October. EMA co-founder Dr Chris Howes outlines the need for the association and what its immediate priorities are.
The Event Medical Association is a newly founded association representing medical providers working within the events industry. We launched in October, clearly hoping that to elicit reaction and interest and it has to be said the feedback from the industry has already been encouraging and hugely positive.
Through the Event Medical Association our first priority is to get medical providers at events to come together as a community. Both personally, and from conversations I have had with others, I feel the winds are changing, that eyes are upon us and that there will soon be legislation around what we do. When this happens and regulation is considered, the Event Medical Association will be supportive and there to provide our sector of the industry with a representative voice. This is a sector that is currently underrepresented and not always understood, but in a position to bring a positive influence to the industry by gathering data, intelligence and insight and adapting to changing circumstances.
This will now be possible, with an association of event medical providers that share our ambitions:
- To promote the highest standards of medical care at outdoor events
- To encourage and support good clinical and corporate governance
- To encourage and support continued development of staff and volunteers and the maintenance of their qualifications and competencies
- To share experience and good practice and provide mutual support
- To provide a forum for discussion and debate amongst event medical providers
- To represent the event medical sector and actively promote its good standing
These are important objectives and will see our sector gain in credibility, responsibility and respect; this is exactly what a successful industry association should be doing with its members.
“This is a sector that is currently underrepresented and not always understood.”
At the same time, we are also seeking to work with event organisers to raise awareness of what ‘good’ looks like, their own obligations to their audiences and how we as an association can ensure the very best services are provided, without compromise.
At the Event Medical Association, we are bringing together businesses with shared values around quality care for the people we look after and support for the practitioners who provide it. In short, if you care about the quality of care that events give to their audiences and spectators, we’d love for you to be a part of this association.
On a personal note, we at the Event Medical Association would like to thank the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) for their support in setting up this association. For many years, and at many tables, we have both shared our ambition for the association and been asked to take the first step in setting it up. This is not always easy; it is time consuming and expensive. Without NOEA we wouldn’t have been able to do it.
We now look forward to another year supporting the events industry and engaging with like-minded businesses in this exciting new chapter for us all.
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