Check you have appropriate indemnity before undertaking the work.
Make sure you have the necessary qualifications, skills, experience and equipment.
Keep detailed notes of any incidents and medical care you provide.

Doctors are often asked to provide medical cover at amateur and charity sporting competitions, or other local events. Whether it's paid or voluntary work, there are a few things you will need to consider first.

The right indemnity

You have an ethical duty and a statutory requirement to ensure you have adequate indemnity or insurance before you offer your services.

Depending on the event, the organising body might provide indemnity for doctors acting in a professional capacity (voluntary or paid), and you should check this before the event.

If the organisers can't provide you with indemnity, contact our membership department in advance to check whether your current membership will indemnify you for this.

The right skills

The GMC's 'Good medical practice' (2024) guidance states that, "you must be competent in all aspects of your work" (paragraph 1).

Whatever event you are helping with, you should have the appropriate skills, experience, equipment and support. For example, if you're volunteering at a local sports club, you may need to be expert in areas such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation, airway maintenance and spinal fracture immobilisation.

If you're unsure what you might need, check with the event organiser or relevant sporting organisation.

If a medical problem occurs during the event, your ethical responsibilities – such as the need to obtain consent and maintain confidentiality – remain the same as in your regular medical practice.

Keep a record

Keep detailed notes of any incidents and medical care that you provide in case you're later asked about the treatment you gave. See our guidance on good record-keeping for more information.

Approved Practice Settings

Medical graduates who are new to full registration and doctors restoring to the medical register after a prolonged break are subject to the Approved Practice Settings (APS) scheme. Those under the APS scheme must be connected to a 'designated body' in order to practise in the UK.

If you are APS connected, you may volunteer to provide medical assistance at events as long as you:

have the approval of your educational supervisor to do so
maintain your connection with your designated body
comply with any reporting requirements as set out by your responsible officer or training body.

Good Samaritan acts

Acting as a 'good neighbour' where you have agreed to be in attendance is different to acting as a good Samaritan at an event, where a doctor who happens to be present is unexpectedly asked to provide medical care in an emergency.

For more on good Samaritan Acts, read our guidance.

'Good neighbour acts' and volunteering at events

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