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Glastonbury Festival took place last month and many other music festivals are following in the coming weeks and months. We spoke to an alumnus who has combined his medicine degree with supporting festival goers.

The Somerset-based founder of , Chris Howes (Medicine 1968) has led the medical cover at for 44 years and counting. 

When Chris started volunteering as a festival medic in 1979, the level of medical provision required was, understandably, on a much smaller scale with around 2,000 ticket holders compared to 200,000 today. FMS now also supports Womad, Reading and smaller festivals, having grown and evolved in tandem with the needs of festivals and festival-goers. 

The doctors who volunteer include specialists in Emergency Medicine, joined by nurses, nurse practitioners, paramedics and first responders. FMS provide imaging services including X-ray and ultrasound as well as pharmacy, dental, mental health and well-being services including physiotherapy, podiatry, and a safeguarding team. 

Chris says: “People are often surprised to hear that the podiatry and a dental team are absolutely essential. There are two things that can really ruin your weekend: feet you can’t walk on comfortably, and toothache. In terms of getting people patched up and partying again they play a big part!”

Except for a few administrators in paid roles, FMS is run by volunteers, meaning any money made is donated to one of the organisations it supports. FMS became a charity in 1998 and has donated approximately £2m to numerous organisations in the UK and overseas. They produce trauma packs to be used in Ukraine and have partnered with the organisation  who distribute them. Donations from FMS have also been used to finance health posts and a maternity unit in a region of Ethiopia previously without any accessible medical service and support projects in places as far afield as Afghanistan, India, Haiti and Vanuatu.

Chris has seen many changes over the years. He says: “It was rumoured some couples would time their conception in hope of giving birth at Glastonbury. We had several deliveries in the early days and used to have midwives as part of our team, but we haven’t seen that for years. I certainly wouldn’t recommend having a baby in a field and there isn’t the appetite for that kind of experience these days. The policy now is to whisk people off to a maternity unit at the first sign of labour.”

Chris says it is important to be versatile and agile working in less than optimal conditions, something FMS is very good at. He says: “Adapting to challenging situations and using skills in unfamiliar ways is so important and effective. That ethos works right through the whole organisation. We can think outside of the box, diversifying when and where the need arises.” 

When festivals and events were cancelled during the pandemic, FMS adapted and supported the Covid vaccination programme. “We used our vehicles to help people in hard to reach locations and at nursing homes,” Chris says. “We received great feedback from the NHS because our support was really valuable to them. They now come to us for help with subsequent programmes.”

The more support FMS can provide on-site at a festival or event the better, ensuring local NHS services are not overwhelmed by an influx of festival goers. Over the six days of Glastonbury Festival FMS see over 4,000 patients and only around 1.5% of people will need to be referred to hospital. Each person is checked into a database and given a record which follows them through the medical centre until they leave. 

Chris says everyone works very closely together. He says: “This is one example of where we feel the way we do things is better than the way hospitals do things. We do it all there and then. All the different people involved in a patient’s care talk to each other and work together which gives the best result to the patient. Visitors from the Ambulance services, Department of Health and the local NHS have come to watch our work and say ‘why don’t we do it this way?’”

Chris’ motivation is simple. He explains: “When I started, I wanted to see the kids at these events looked after, knowing that very soon, my own children would be going to events like these and I wanted there to be someone to look after them.” 

The inquiry following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing has recommended greater regulation and improved standards of cover at events. Chris helped found the , part of  the National Outdoor Events Association, looking at standards, governance and greater regulation amongst medical provision at events. Chris hopes this work will encourage best practice and the raising of standards for event medical providers across the board.

Chris is proud of the family spirit FMS has developed over the years. “We’re all doing it for each other and we all work together,” he says.

Chris advocates for open mindedness and a sense of discovery. He says: “If you get an opportunity to do something slightly off the wall that appeals to you, then do it and carry on until you don't enjoy doing it anymore. That's what I've done, and it's worked quite well for me. A medical degree is a passport to a huge range of different ways of spending your working life. It's usually just one experience, one placement, one contact, one patient that lights the bulb.”