The impact of an extreme sports event on a district general hospital

Extreme sports events are increasing in popularity, particularly in mountainous areas throughout Great Britain. Emergency medical care for these events is usually provided by voluntary organisations, providing event side first aid and referring patients to nearby District General Hospitals. The Fort William Mountain Bike Race is part of the UCI World Cup Series: 173 competitors racing in cross country, downhill and 4X events. The Belford Hospital provides year round medical care for the Lochaber community, which frequently swells during the tourist season. The hospital has 8300 new attendances per annum, 35 patient reviews per 24 hrs.

We have reviewed the impact of the event on the local hospital. In total 52 riders reported 61 injuries. The hospital treated 24q (14%) riders. Retrospective analysis of attendances has revealed 19 riders attended on race days, increasing attendees by up to 28%. 46% of injured riders were seen at the A &E department, 1 rider requiring admission for observation and 1 rider required inter-hospital transfer Injury patterns (knee 20%, hand/wrist 18% and shoulder 18%) were similar to other reported series.

We believe that extreme sports events can have considerable impact on small district general hospitals. Additional triage and staffing resources should be utilised and event organisers should anticipate the additional problems they present to the local community. District General Hospitals continue to provide a substantial contribution to the provision of health care for extreme sports within the UK.