Major Incidents

A major incident can be defined as “Any emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or all of the emergency services“.

London has seen many Major Incidents in the last 25 years, and BASICS London has provided doctors to all of them without exception. Examples include the Clapham, Purley and Ladbroke Grove Rail Crashes, the Kings Cross Underground fire, the sinking of the Marchioness, and terrorist explosions such as the Bishopsgate and Soho bombings, and most recently the London Bombings in July 2006

Our Ambulance Doctors have worked alongside members of the Ambulance, Fire and Police Services to rescue and treat injured casualties at the scene of the incidents, and also to provide strategic command at Gold and Silver level with the London Ambulance Service.

BASICS London has also provided doctors at incidents outside London as part of a Mutual Aid arrangement between BASICS Schemes and local Ambulance Services.

Members of the scheme have extensive experience in the management of Major Incidents and regularly assist with emergency planning, training, and exercises in London and throughout the country. The majority of the London Ambulance Service Medical Incident Officer Pool is composed of members of BASICS London, ensuring a rapid response to any incident in the capital round the clock.