Changes needed in urgent medical care at attacks

The ongoing inquiry into the Manchester bombing has heard from a consultant who served as a British Army medic in Iraq and Afghanistan about why change is needed to ensure casualties of terrorist attacks get advanced medical care at the scene.

Lt Col Claire Park told the inquiry that experienced doctors needed to be at the immediate scene of mass casualty incidents to give the best possible interventions to help save lives.

Only three medics went into the scene of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing amid concerns about further attacks. Currently only specialist paramedics can enter potentially dangerous areas immediately after such an attack.

The inquiry is exploring whether the UK should consider embedding experienced doctors with armed police units to allow them to treat casualties in the very early stages of a terrorist attack. The system has been used successfully in France, including during the 2015 Bataclan Theatre attack in Paris when doctors treated casualties while police fought with gunmen.

It is believed that Counter Terrorism Police do not currently support the idea of placing civilian medics within armed teams, maintaining it was not ‘the most effective way’ to provide fast treatment.