Wednesday, 17th August – 2.45pm – Jamie Arrowsmith.
The annual pilgrimage of music lovers heading to Weston Park for V Festival will soon be underway again and as such, final medical preparations are being made.
Huge numbers are expected to attend the popular annual festival with a large number of day visitors swelling the crowd this year.
West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) will work with St. John Ambulance Service to ensure first-class medical services are available in order to make it one of the safest festivals in the country.
Last year, just over 1,000 patients were treated for a variety of injuries, 36 of whom required transporting to hospital.
In total there will be approximately 200 staff and volunteers working throughout the weekend. A command and control centre will be set up on site, staffed by call takers and dispatchers who will co-ordinate ambulances and medical staff who will be stationed within the park. Self-contained medical centres staffed by doctors, nurses and staff from St. John Ambulance will also be present on site and are fully equipped to deal with all types of injuries, helping festival goers to avoid any unnecessary trips to A&E and continue on with their fun at the festival.
Early indications suggest the weather will be incredibly mixed and as a result the ambulance service will be taking its own advice and will be prepared for all conditions.
Alongside our ambulances, we will be deploying a number of 4×4 vehicles which will help staff gain access to people who may become injured in any difficult locations during the event.
As well as the weather, there are a number of other factors WMAS is urging all festival-goers to take into account, as Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer Steve Wheaton explained.
“First and foremost we want everyone to have a great time and enjoy the music safely.
“In order to do so, it is important to look after each other, make sure you stick together and that you know where your friends are at all times.
“Also, if you are just attending for the day, make sure you have planned your journey home beforehand and only use licensed taxis if that is the option you go for.
“It is also important to pace yourself to make sure you can remember what a good time you had when you wake up in the morning. Too often we see examples of people overdoing it on the first night and sadly having to go home early.
“Have a drink by all means, but make sure you keep yourself hydrated, and whilst doing so, why not keep an eye on your friends as well?
“It is also really important to bring any medication with you that need, and enough of it. After all, we want you to spend your weekend in the music tent, not in the medical tent.”
Jon Mannion, the event manager for St John Ambulance, said: “V Festival is one of the biggest first aid operations of the year for St John Ambulance in the West Midlands.
“We will be providing a team of healthcare professionals, ambulance crews, first aiders and support staff as part of the medical provision on site.
“Last year, the team gave medical attention to a very small percentage of the festival population and we look forward to providing a high quality and responsive service with our partners again this year.”
For the very latest weather forecast, please visit http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/events/v-festival-weston-park
Ends
Notes to Editors:
If used, please credit the images to West Midlands Ambulance Service.