Operational partnerships - Operational deployment (medics) SOP (O44c)

1. Summary of changes

1.1. This standard operating procedure (SOP) has been reviewed in February 2024 - no amendments to content have been made. 

2. What this procedure is about

2.1. This SOP outlines the operational deployment requirements for first aid training across the whole organisation.

Compliance with this SOP and any governing policy is mandatory.

3. Detail the procedure

3.1. The operational deployment of staff will be the decision of the line management on a risk assessed basis and in line with existing policies and national guidelines for the following:

• close protection duties involving VIPs
• all firearms operations
• all waterborne operations; 
• training and operations involving working at height/confined space/pyrotechnics
• dynamic unarmed entry
• all public order deployments

3.2. The cost of equipment and consumables will be met by the department that is deploying the staff.

3.3. Whilst officers should not routinely convey injured or ill persons to hospital in police vehicles, police medics may make a clinical decision to transport a critically injured person to hospital if it meets the criteria in the tactical medic aide memoire which is approved by the Kent Police Clinical Governance Board.

4. Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

4.1. An EIA has been carried out and shows the proposals have a low potential for differential/adverse impact on groups or race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, transgender, disability, age, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

5. Risk assessment

5.1. This SOP has been assessed as high risk.

6. Consultation

• Clinical Governance Board
• Public Order Unit
• Staff Safety Training Unit
• Tactical Medicine Unit
• Human Resources
• Health and Safety
• Finance
• IT Security
• Estates
• Legal
• Freedom of Information
• Police Federation
• Unison

7. Monitoring and review

7.1. The policy will be monitored by the public order unit, Clinical Governance Board and staff safety training unit to ensure compliance with College of Policing guidance for first aid and medics training. The policy is next due for review in February 2026.

8. Other source documents

None listed.

9. Security

9.1. Kent Police have measures in place to protect the security of your data in accordance with our Information Management policy.

10. Retention and disposal of records

10.1. Kent Police will hold data in accordance with our Records Review, Retention and Disposal policy.