The recent open day gave supporters the opportunity to visit the Medical Centre.  This facility is considered to be as good as any outside the Premier League.
 

The room was designed by a number of professional people.  Steve Howard from the East Anglian Ambulance Trust, Dr Steve Jones - Crowd Doctor, Dr Mandy Wharton - Club Doctor and Steve Snow from St John Ambulance.  Each individual gave up a considerable amount of their time to ensure this area provided the maximum use and service available.  All of the above personnel generally attend all home fixtures here at the Abbey and are located in and around the Medical Centre.
 
Steve Howard controls the medical cover from the Control Room situated above the Medical Centre, Steve is in radio contact with all of the medical staff on site.  The minimum cover on a low-grade fixture is one Head Ambulance Officer, one paramedic, one Crowd Doctor and seven St John Ambulance Officers.  The Club Doctor deals with the players.
 
The Medical Centre has five treatment bays, four standard and one 'crash area'.  The 'crash area' is larger and would be used for more serious medical conditions.  This bay has a defibrillator and other specialized equipment available.  All medical bays have oxygen pumped to the beds with masks for instant use.
 
There is also a 'wet area' available to enable the medical staff to decontaminate people if required.
 

The facility does not only treat the supporters but any players who are seriously injured.  We have a system in place for any person requiring hospital treatment, the ambulance on route to the stadium knows exactly where to report, which is very important as with some medical conditions every second counts.
 
Most people who attended the open day now know that we take safety for both players and the supporters very seriously and offer first class treatment should it be required.  This is one area that I hope does not get used too often but as a Safety Officer it is very reassuring to know I have a very professional support team on duty at the stadium.
 
Finally this has given me the opportunity to thank all those involved in the development of this area.
 
Ian Darler
Stadium Manager/Match Day Safety Officer