Clinical governance policy for Special Constables with medical qualifications

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.025225

I note you seek access to the following information:

FOI request concerning your force's first aid training policies in respect of your Special Constables who are qualified and practicing medical professionals in their paid employment.

1) Do you require all Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals to complete your force's full annual first aid training to the College of Policing First Aid Learning Programme standard (FALP) standard, or do any officers currently have an exemption from mandatory first aid training because of other qualifications?

2) If you exempt any Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can you tell me what qualifications, job roles or current professional registrations (eg HCPC, NMC, GDC, GMC etc) you grant such exemptions to.

3) If you exempt any Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can you tell me if you extend that exemption to qualified Ambulance Technicians who are not registered by the HCPC.

4) If you have a policy covering the exemption of Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can I have a copy of that policy.

5) If you exempt any Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can you tell me approximately how many officers currently have such an exemption.

6) Do you place limitations on medical procedures that Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals may perform whilst on duty as police officers? For example, would you allow a practising consultant anaesthetist to intubate a patient whilst on duty as a Special Constable, when they are trained and qualified to do so in their paid employment, but that advanced medical procedure is not covered in the mandatory annual FALP training.

7) If you do place limitations on medical procedures that Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals may perform whilst on duty as police officers, then please can you tell me how you communicate this restriction to those officers.

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you in full.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

Q1 - Do you require all Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals to complete your force's full annual first aid training to the College of Policing First Aid Learning Programme standard (FALP) standard, or do any officers currently have an exemption from mandatory first aid training because of other qualifications?

We require all officers to undertake the ELS qualification as a minimum, we do not exempt anyone as even if they have external qualifications they need to understand what their colleagues are trained to do.

Q2 - If you exempt any Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can you tell me what qualifications, job roles or current professional registrations (eg HCPC, NMC, GDC, GMC etc) you grant such exemptions to.

We do not exempt anyone, the only concession we may make is that we may allow them to do an ELS refresher of 4 hours rather than the 2 day 9 hour course and this is decided on an individual basis and is rare.

Q3 - If you exempt any Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can you tell me if you extend that exemption to qualified Ambulance Technicians who are not registered by the HCPC.

As above there is no exemption

Q4 - If you have a policy covering the exemption of Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can I have a copy of that policy.

As above there is no exemption

Q5 - If you exempt any Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals from first aid training then please can you tell me approximately how many officers currently have such an exemption.

As above there is no exemption

Q6 - Do you place limitations on medical procedures that Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals may perform whilst on duty as police officers? For example, would you allow a practising consultant anaesthetist to intubate a patient whilst on duty as a Special Constable, when they are trained and qualified to do so in their paid employment, but that advanced medical procedure is not covered in the mandatory annual FALP training.

Any medical professional working for the MPS may only carry equipment provided by the MPS and have been trained to use by the MPS. If the person is a qualified doctor and a healthcare professional arrives at a scene bringing with them further equipment which the doctor is trained to use and they choose to use it – this would be covered by their personal professional insurance and they would not be acting on behalf of the police service but within their own professional competence.

Q7 - If you do place limitations on medical procedures that Special Constables who are practicing medical professionals may perform whilst on duty as police officers, then please can you tell me how you communicate this restriction to those officers.

The ELS training in the MPS is clear on the level and extent of training and if the question is raised it is clearly covered on the training. If the question is raised to the senior advisor first aid the answer is clear as above.