Executive Summary
Coast Medic Ambulance Ltd provided comprehensive event medical cover for the Rattler Festival near Newquay, delivering a resilient and clinically governed service tailored to a high-footfall, alcohol-present outdoor music festival. The deployment comprised a dedicated Medical Treatment Centre (MTC), a fully equipped conveyance ambulance, and specialist 4×4 ambulance capability to support access across varied terrain. The service was staffed by a multi-disciplinary clinical team, ensuring safe on-site care, rapid escalation, and appropriate hospital transfer when required.
Event Context and Risk Profile
The Rattler Festival is a large-scale outdoor music and cultural event attracting significant visitor numbers. The clinical and operational risk profile included:
- Alcohol-related presentations, including intoxication and associated injury
- Crowd-related trauma, such as slips, trips, falls, and minor assaults
- Medical emergencies, including collapse, chest pain, seizures, asthma, and diabetic events
- Environmental factors, including uneven ground, prolonged standing, dehydration, and variable weather
- Access challenges, requiring off-road capability for timely patient extraction
The medical plan required both a visible treatment facility and mobile assets capable of reaching patients quickly across the festival footprint.
Objectives
- Provide a central Medical Treatment Centre for triage, treatment, and observation.
- Maintain immediate ambulance conveyance capability for patients requiring hospital care.
- Ensure off-road access and resilience through dedicated 4×4 ambulance deployment.
- Deliver care through a multi-disciplinary clinical workforce matched to event risk.
- Operate within robust clinical governance and escalation frameworks.
Coast Medic Ambulance Solution
1) Medical Treatment Centre (MTC)
A clearly identified MTC was established to act as the clinical hub for the event, providing:
- Structured triage and clinical assessment
- Treatment of minor to moderate injuries and illnesses
- Short-term observation and monitoring where clinically indicated
- Clear clinical decision-making on discharge, referral, or escalation to ambulance conveyance
The MTC model enabled many presentations to be managed safely on site, reducing unnecessary pressure on local emergency departments.
2) Conveyance Ambulance
A fully equipped ambulance was deployed with the capability to convey patients directly to hospital, ensuring:
- Rapid escalation for higher-acuity or deteriorating patients
- Safe, monitored transfer under appropriate clinical supervision
- Seamless integration with local emergency care pathways
3) 4×4 Ambulance Capability
A specialist 4×4 ambulance was provided to support:
- Access to remote or congested areas of the site
- Patient extraction over uneven or soft ground
- Operational continuity regardless of terrain or weather conditions
This capability was essential in maintaining response times across the festival site.
Clinical Staffing Model
The event was supported by a layered, multi-disciplinary team, ensuring resilience and appropriate skill mix:
- Paramedics – advanced clinical assessment, emergency intervention, and conveyance decision-making
- Registered Nurses – treatment centre operations, minor injury/illness management, and patient observation
- Emergency Care Assistants (ECAs) – ambulance operations, patient support, and clinical assistance
- Responders – initial response, scene management, and early triage
This staffing model ensured safe task allocation and continuity of care throughout the event.
Governance, Communication, and Safety
As a CQC-regulated provider, Coast Medic Ambulance delivered the service under established governance arrangements, including:
- Patient documentation and incident reporting
- Clear escalation and referral pathways
- Safeguarding awareness within a crowded, alcohol-present environment
- Infection prevention and control measures appropriate to mass-gathering care
- Ongoing liaison with event control and organisers
A post-event review captured learning to support continuous improvement.
Outcomes and Impact
- Timely access to medical care for festival attendees
- Effective on-site management of a wide range of presentations
- Rapid escalation and hospital transfer where clinically indicated
- Reduced demand on statutory NHS services through appropriate on-site treatment
Conclusion
The Rattler Festival near Newquay demonstrated Coast Medic Ambulance’s ability to deliver safe, resilient, and clinically governed medical cover for large outdoor music events. Through the combination of a Medical Treatment Centre, conveyance and 4×4 ambulance capability, and a skilled multi-disciplinary clinical workforce, Coast Medic provided effective care across the festival footprint while ensuring robust escalation pathways for patients requiring hospital treatment.
