Standards › Standard 20 › Plans and templates
Plan · SPM-PLN-001 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee
Supports: 20.5
At a glance
- Each sports event has an emergency plan, written for that event and its venue.
- The plan covers cardiac arrest, heat illness and head injury.
- Equipment, including an AED, and trained staff are on site before the event starts (SPM-FRM-004).
- An event with no plan and no trained person present does not go ahead.
- Stop and get help straight away if: an event goes ahead with no emergency plan and no trained person present.
1. Purpose
To make sure each sports event has a plan, with equipment and trained staff on site (20.5).
2. Scope
| Applies to | Clinical and support staff in the hospital |
| Locations | All wards, clinics and departments of the facility |
| When | Whenever the activity described is carried out |
| Does not apply to | Activities covered by another document listed in section 15 |
3. Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clinical lead | The doctor or nurse in charge of the area at the time |
4. Background
Sports events are where cardiac arrests and serious injuries happen, often far from a hospital. A plan made before the event, with equipment and people ready, is what saves the athlete in the first minutes.
5. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility | Competence |
|---|---|---|
| Lead sports physician | Writes the plan for each event | Clinician |
| Event medical lead | Checks equipment and staff on site before start | Clinician |
6. Materials and equipment
| Item | Requirement | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Records and forms named in this document | Current version | Checked before use |
7. Safety
- Stop and call for help if a patient is at immediate risk. Do not delay urgent care to complete paperwork.
8. Before you start
- Confirm the forms and equipment named in this document are available and current.
9. Procedure
Step 1. Write the plan.
- Write the plan for the event and its venue, covering cardiac arrest, heat illness and head injury.
Key point: Plan written.
Step 2. Check on site.
- Check the equipment and the trained staff on site before the event (SPM-FRM-004).
Key point: Checked on site.
Step 3. Keep the record.
- File the plan and the check with the event record.
Key point: Filed.
10. Decision points
- No decision points in this procedure.
11. Special situations
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Out of hours | Follow the same steps. Use the on-call contact on the wall of the area. |
12. Escalation
- Any serious problem goes to the duty clinical lead at once and to the clinical director the same day.
13. Monitoring
| Measure | Target | Frequency | Owner | If not met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Events with a written plan and equipment and staff checked before start | 100% | Each event | Lead sports physician | Escalate to medical director |
14. Records
| Record | Kept in | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Record named in this document | Patient record or the area file | the period set by the facility’s records policy years |
15. Training
- Staff are trained in this document at induction and refreshed each year, with a recorded competency check.
16. Related documents
| ID | Title | Use |
|---|---|---|
| SPM-FRM-004 | Event equipment and staff check record | Record |
17. Evidence
| Reference | Note |
|---|---|
| E-009 | Based on the BJSM consensus on return to sport (2016) and the McCrory consensus statement on concussion in sport (2023). |
| E-006 | ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted. |
| E-009 | ASF Expert Committee consensus. |
18. Change history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | the date of approval | First version | set Expert Committee approval |
E-learning for this document
References
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 1. (E-009)