23 May InfoBLOG: The Saint-Denis Convention Explained.
The Saint-Denis Convention Explained.
What is the relevance of the Saint-Denis Convention for Event Medicine?
The Convention is the only binding international legal instrument that establishes institutional co-operation between all stakeholders involved in the organisation of football matches and other sporting events.
The aim of the Saint-Denis Convention is to make football matches and other sporting events more welcoming, safe, and secure.
On 31 October 2023, the UK Government formally ratified the Saint-Denis Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sport events.
The Convention advocates a multi-agency integrated approach, based on three interdependent and over lapping pillars: SAFETY. SECURITY. & SERVICE.
The multi-agency / integrated approach promotes co-operation between six major stakeholders: Governments, Municipal Authorities, Police, Football Authorities, Supporters, and Local Populations.
The vast majority of the text focuses on Policing, Stewarding, Stadium Design, Stadium Management, Supporters experience, and how the integrated practices of each of the partners is necessary to achieve more welcoming, safer, and secure sporting events.
From the Council of Europe / Saint-Denis Committee website, it is unclear if any of the committee / secretariat have a background within a medical profession.
What does the Saint-Denis Convention say about Event Medicine?
Recommendation 1 / Annex A / Safety / Pg 127 & 128 / Appendix 23 / Medical Plan: these two pages bullet point the quantative data that should be contained in a ‘medical plan’. See the link below.
https://rm.coe.int/annex-a/1680a45e6f
Other isolated ‘medical’ references are as follows.
Recommendation 1 / Annex A / Safety / Pg 42: refers to Emergency Services personnel ‘should be located in the control room in order to manage medical and/or fire service response to any incidents’.
Recommendation 1 / Annex A / Safety / Pg 107: Appendix 18. Indoor Venues. Refers to event safety plans, and bullet points medical plan.
Recommendation 1 / Annex A / Safety / Pg 156: refers to event related records, ‘the number of police and other emergency service, including medical and first aid personnel deployed in the stadium’, and ‘the number and details of any spectators treated by medical personnel’.
Recommendation 1 / Annex D / Checklists / Pg15: states ‘Are model arrangements in place for ensuring effective safety preparations, including: policing, fire, and medical strategies’.
Recommendation 1 / Annex D / Checklists / Pg24: states ‘Do all stadia have adequate medical plans?’ and ‘Do medical plans comply with national and international standards and good practice in terms of technical capability and operating arrangements?’
The full text of the Saint-Denis Convention can be accessed by following this link:
https://www.coe.int/en/web/sport/safety-security-and-service-approach-convention
NEMO’s Opinion:
The collective text of the Saint-Denis Convention, that is all the documents that contribute to the ‘Recommendations’ equate to just over 400 pages. Two of these pages are dedicated to a ‘Medical Plan’.
NEMO believes this provides insight into why Event Medicine needs to grow its evidence base through research, contribute more to the governance of such documents, and lead in defining the standards that shape Event Medicine provision at large scale events.
What do you think ? What are your thoughts ?
Engage with Nemo, email: [email protected]