Major incidents: training for on site medical personnel.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the present levels of training for the medical incident officer (MIO) and the mobile medical team leader (MMTL) throughout the UK.


METHODS
Postal questionnaire to consultants in charge of accident and emergency (A&E) departments seeing more than 30,000 patients a year. Information regarding MIO staffing and training and MMTL training and provision requested.


RESULTS
A&E provides the majority of both MIOs and MMTLs in the event of a major incident. Virtually all MIOs are consultants or general practitioners. However, 63% of MMTLs are from hospital training grade staff. One third of hospitals required their designated MIO to have undertaken a Major Incident Medical Management and Support course and a quarter had no training requirement at all. Two thirds of MMTLs were expected to have completed an Advanced Trauma Life Support course, but in 21% there was no minimum training requirement. Training exercises are infrequent, and hence the exposure of any one individual to exercises will be minimal.


CONCLUSIONS
There has been some improvement in major incident training and planning since 1992, but much remains to be done to improve the national situation to an acceptable standard.
Graham
C A
CA
Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Hearns
S T
ST
D000552:Ambulances; D003253:Consultants; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008020:Life Support Care; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom