But then there’s this:
Task Supervisors appeared unable to respond to changing circumstances preferring instead to align rigidly with initial briefings.
The requirement to defer absolutely to direction from Task Supervisors meant that Flt Cdrs felt unable to implement local/short-term mitigations for the heat
Many of those that wanted to act felt unable to. Pretty sure this was discussed further up the thread, closer to the 22 event. The event was prioritised over cadet welfare.
Ish. Staff were unable to pull the plug, but this report is also (risking survivorship bias) a degree of evidence that it wasn’t necessary to stop and that the risk was appropriately managed.
Edit to add: Staff were right to be concerned, and raise their concerns, and ensure that appropriate action was taken. Appropriate action was (largely, with possibly a few exceptions) taken.
Finishing reading, I wish this was released formally corps-wide.
The number of times I’ve heard by rumour that there were 100s of heat injuries, that there were cadets removed in ambulances with heat stroke, etc, etc, is silly. This proves definitively otherwise and would have shut that down.
Focusing on the first half, that could be true. But highlighted in the investigation was the frequency with which the term “hot and bothered” was used. How many of those that didn’t report to FA could have been more serious, or reported with greater emphasis?
This isn’t the RAF but the Charitable Trust, a different thing altogether.
70 odd cadets ending up in the first aid tent overall just from heat related issues? Just because they weren’t hospitalised, doesn’t mean things didn’t go wrong.
Also,
and no cadets were diagnosed as suffering from heat illness.
This is good in theory. But:
heat illness must be diagnosed by a medical doctor recording patient core temperature readings taken from a rectal thermometer. During RIAT 22, such invasive assessments were not deemed necessary for any air cadets.
So no one could have been diagnosed. Even if they were way above the core temp required to meet the criteria.
If someone’s leg looks a funny shape, I can say it’s probably broken. But I can’t diagnose it. I need an x-ray for that…
Anecdotally, my experience of big events - airshows - where cadets were part of the infrastructure, was that ACO senior/operations staff were far more interested in the success of the task then they were in the cadet experience.
Bad news was not welcome, plans didn’t change.
Ego. “My show must go on”.
Yep. It ends up being the way often I think.
I’ve seen it at a Wing level. Major event where the cadets form a critical part. Senior staff making decisions based on their loyalties to the event, not to the cadets. When the OIC and 2IC is a directors/trustees of the event. It happens, I complained, they are still both staff, one still a WSO…
(The above not relevant to RIAT. I think @angus just opened some old sour memories for me 
)
Having been involved in Event Medical covering planning for events on a similar and even smaller Scale i’m surprised the RAFAC Campsite didnt atleast have official Paramedic level cover, potentially even AP/Dr. Was the purple book consulted.
The fact that they rely on volunteers to bring own kit is shocking.
Was there any notice on the recruitment for support staff that Paramedics where required or is it purely just a coincidence that these volunteers attended brought there own kit.
Is there anywhere in the various policies that state anything re paramedics using there skills/kit, anything above first aid level etc . personally havent been able to find anything.
Having spoke to a friend in the ACF I believe they have a dedicated medical support team or something similar with policies in place for people to practice within there scope and have kit provided etc. Why dont rafac do similar?
Nope, just need a dedicated first aider with AFA 
The ACF have one big advantage, they have Professor Sir Jonathon van Tam as their medical advisor and Hon Colonel.
Any paramedic present and please @Texan correct me if I’m wrong, are they not putting their PIN at risk by this situation, in not managing, a situation within their skills and abilities and would be judged against another paramedic with equivalent skills and abilities, not a first aider. Same as nurse would be.
It does not appear to be any thought regarding treatment protocols and SOPs etc, the RAFAC is potentially hanging them out to dry should an incident occur. I feel anybody who is going as a member of medical personnel should pull out now.
RAFAC just really digs an even deeper hole, a first-aider cannot really diagnose heat illness.
I’ve come across this question in other FA scenarios as well. Your kit, at a level requiring your specialist training, but potentially affected by others’ management decisions.
I can think too of a certain legal bod with a medical husband, both very hot on protecting their livelihoods when taking part in cadet activities.
Just the same as Civ Com members as well if they are present.
Yeh in a sense, depending on how the HCPC look at it. I’m sure if the Kit is available to act within scope and you didnt then yeh that would be a massive no no in the HCPC’s eyes.
Issues re medical indemnity insurance etc aswell. Volunteers would need to provide it themselves which isnt cheap.
I doubt RAFAC would back them either. I agree with you, without proper RAFAC policies re HCP’s acting within there scope of practice/kit/legal cover etc, and proper oversight from a Medical Director then I’d avoid acting in a medical capacity for rafac events.
My only official qual right now is FREC4 but when I get my registration I deffos wont be putting it at risk on rafac events…
I actually take back my previous slightly sarcastic comment:
That was a bit of a joke. I just assumed it wouldn’t have been thought about, I was wrong. There’s full policy on what the FA requirements are for certain events. ACTO 008 Annex J
My sarcastic comment was correct. It literally just talks about AFA. For RIAT, it says there needs to be a team. So maybe 10 AFA staff would meet the criteria? (1:100) And HQAC are happy with that? For over 1k cadets?
It gets worse…
This information was added in March this year. So 6 months after the release of a report that was essentially critical of the FA cover at RIAT, HQ have published a document saying even less is okay.
As a nurse the same thing applies, stay well away. The report states the paramedics were using their own kit, naughty.
The RAFAC IIRC said that they were to just act as first-aiders whatever their qualifications, that really does throw the practitioner to the wolves in the event of an incident.
They don’t understand that you can’t act down to a level under the HCPC/NMC/GMC regulations for practice, you must practice at the level you are trained for with whatever equipment available.
During the red heat wave, we had a camp cancelled as the station commander had deemed the heat to be too risky to personnel and closed the station down. Yet RIAT went on.
A good leader prepared to do what is right, not what is easy.
Promote that person to CRAFAC, oh maybe not!