Pitch-side Sports First Aid with AED Training

This is a highly practical sports first aid course with injury and incident management training, delivered in 14hrs over 2 days. It is specifically for anyone who will be working as a ptich-side sports first aider. We have many physiotherapists and osteopaths working at rugby clubs attending this course as they are often asked to provide first aid cover at training and matches.

Most professional associations will accept members providing first aid, as long as you have been trained to do so, as part of your existing insurance. If you are unsure what duties you can and can't perform outside of your normal working environment then your professional association should be able to advise. The key is that, whatever your professional training, you must act in the limits of your own professional competence.

 

With this in mind, the Pitch-side Sports First Aid and AED course is designed to stay firmly within the boundaries of accepted first aid practice and to train you to become skilled in essential, life-saving first aid and managing first aid incidents in a pitch-side environment. For example it does not cover any medical or invasive procedures such as the use of nasopharyngeal airways and handheld suction devices. The course does not cover the use of neck collars or spinal boards both of which are controversial pieces of equipment when used by healthcare professional let alone first aiders.

Certification is dependent on successful continuous assessment of the candidate. Those who complete the course successfully are awarded a certificate that is valid for three years. 

A first aid certificate gives you a licence to practice for the 3 year validity of the certificate. It is not reasonable to expect you to be able to acquire enough skill over two days to use complicated medical apparatus especially with no refresher training. The use of equipment like this should be limited to Doctors, HCP registered paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians and perhaps a few other disciplines depending on what their specialisations are, for example lifeguards regularly train with spinal boards.

Other companies do provide sports first aid courses covering techniques which sit outside the boundaries of accepted first aid practice. These may be interesting for pitch side first aiders who will be assisting on a multi-disciplinary medical team but it is important to note that completing the course doesn't give a licence to practice these techniques without a fully qualified medical professional being present. So the use of learning / teaching these procedures depends on the subsequent role of the pitch side first aider.

There are no pre-requisites to attend this course.

Course Timings

09:00-17:00 or 09:30 - 17:30 on both days, depending on the venue. Full details of course timings are on the course calendar and will be emailed to you in a pre-course information pack once your booking is confirmed.  We need to have 14 contact hours with all attendees so the course will both start and end promptly.

Course Content 

With the rise in awareness of the use of Defibrillators (AEDs) especially in sports environments this course includes full Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training, in accordance with the UK Resuscitation Council Guidelines.

• Sports specific practical scenario training
• A systematic approach to incident management using both primary and secondary surveys (ABCDE)
• Vital Signs
• Monitoring conscious casualties
• Unconsciousness, causes and treatment using safe airway positions
• External bleeding, internal bleeding and shock
• CPR Resuscitation procedures, including multi-person CPR
• Defibrillation and AED use
• Choking
• Assessing and treating common sports trauma injuries - head, neck, spine & limb 
• Manual spinal immobilisation techniques
• Various techniques to roll a casualty with minimal spinal movement
• Recognition of concussion - use of Maddock's questions / Pocket CRT
• Soft tissue injuries, strains and sprains - when to and when not to use ice
• Cease to play decisions following on field assessment using SALTAPS
• What to put in your first aid kit
• How to make an action plan

Further Reading

• Spinal Injuries in Sports First Aid - Manual Immobilisation Techniques - this course includes using manual immobilisation techniques to manage suspected spinal injuries.  Read our online article about why we feel it is inappropriate to teach the use of spinal boards on this course. 
• Concussion Management in Sports First Aid - why is it vital to err on the side of caution whenever concussion is suspected.
• Soft Tissue Injuries - RICS vs PRICE vs METH
• How to create an emergency action plan for your sports club

Additional Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work certificate

Candidates attending the Pitch-side Sports First Aid course can also request an additional Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work certificate. There is no additional time required, just an admin fee to pay. If you are a CIMSPA member this additional certificate carries 3 CIMSPA Endorsed CPD points.

You can request this certificate when you book your place or via the trainer running the course. After the course has been completed it is no longer possible. 

Booking a Course

We can run in-house training at your venue for groups of up to 12 per instructor.  You simply need a room large enough to not only seat everyone but also to allow them to lie on the floor and be rolled around without bumping into furniture or each other. Ask about organising a course for your group >>

We also have a programme of public sports first aid courses in London for individuals to attend. Dates and locations of these courses are on our course calendar.  View public sports first aid course dates >>

We know all of our trainers personally and our training is consistent regardless of the trainer and the course location. These are high quality, fun and practical courses which give all those attending the skills and confidence that they need should a first aid situation arise. We always receive excellent feedback from candidates.

Happy Customers

"If more people attended courses like this, sports participation would be a lot safer for thousands of people up and down the UK, and serious injuries would be much more likely to be managed effectively and efficiently. Lives might also well be saved. We need more courses like this!!"
Dr Tim Anstiss, B.M., M.Ed., D.Occ.MeD., Member of Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine, Former team physician, UK Athletics

"Thank you for an excellent sports first aid course which has thoroughly prepared me for becoming a sports first aider for trauma management in a multitude of different sports and environments.No other course that I attended has provided me with so much practical application and practice which has inevitably left me more than confident in dealing with scenarios which would ordinarily be beyond my physiotherapy ‘comfort zone''.I will definitely be recommending your course to my physiotherapy colleagues who have an interest in sports. Thank you." 
Lisa Newey, Sports Physiotherapist

The next courses with public places
January - Sat 11 & Sun 12 09:30-17:30	Shadwell Basin Outdoor Centre, London, E1W 3TD (venue details)	£225.00 +VAT
Feb - Thurs 20 & Fri 21 09:00-17:00	Chiswick Sports Grounds, London, W4 3UH (venue details)	£225.00 +VAT
April - Tues 8 & Wed 9 09:00-17:00	Chiswick Sports Grounds, London, W4 3UH (venue details)	£225.00 +VAT

The next courses with public places (more courses)
January - Sat 11 & Sun 12 09:30-17:30	£225.00 +VAT
Venue: Shadwell Basin Outdoor Centre, London, E1W 3TD
Feb - Thurs 20 & Fri 21 09:00-17:00	£225.00 +VAT
Venue: Chiswick Sports Grounds, London, W4 3UH
April - Tues 8 & Wed 9 09:00-17:00	£225.00 +VAT
Venue: Chiswick Sports Grounds, London, W4 3UH